Do You Speak Chemistry?

Learning Chemistry Means Learning Its Language

Abstract

This article is a broad personal reflection about the language of chemistry, deriving from decades of experience in both research and teaching. The three levels of thought as represented by the Johnstone triangle, a critical attitude towards systematic nomenclature, the concept of pure substance, and the central significance of structural formulas as the most prominent form of representation in chemistry, are the main topics discussed. The chemical transliteration of the Platonic solids is presented as a mean of expression unique to chemistry.