Keyboard shortcuts: Enter chemical expressions
Updated 19 Feb 2024
It can be faster to use your keyboard to enter some chemical expression answers instead of using the answer box toolbar. Tablet and smartphone users: Tap the answer box for the toolbar to appear beneath it.
For this format | Type this from your keyboard | On a tablet or smartphone, open the ... |
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N3 (subscript) |
_ (underbar) |
Numeric keyboard to enter _ |
102 |
^ |
Numeric keyboard to enter ^ |
|
\stack |
Letters keyboard to enter \stack |
For this chemical symbol | Type this from your keyboard | On a tablet or smartphone, open the ... |
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|
-> or --> (\-> and \--> also work.) |
Numeric keyboard to enter -> or --> |
|
\= or \eq |
Letters keyboard to enter \eq |
For this character or format | Type this from your keyboard | On a tablet or smartphone, open the ... |
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+ |
+ |
Numeric keyboard to enter + |
- |
- (hyphen) |
Numeric keyboard to enter - |
(fraction) |
/ |
Numeric keyboard to enter / |
(multiplication dot) |
* (asterisk) |
Numeric keyboard to enter * |
For this letter | Enter this from your keyboard | On a tablet or smartphone, open the ... |
---|---|---|
a |
\alpha |
Letters keyboard to enter \alpha |
b |
\beta |
Letters keyboard to enter \beta |
g |
\gamma |
Letters keyboard to enter \gamma |
n |
\nu |
Letters keyboard to enter \nu |
For this format | Type this from your keyboard | On a tablet or smartphone, open the ... |
---|---|---|
|
\bar |
Letters keyboard to enter \bar |
When you enter the first part, it displays in red until you close the expression.
For these characters | Type this from your keyboard | On a tablet or smartphone, open the ... |
---|---|---|
( ) |
( ) |
Numeric keyboard to enter () |
[ ] |
[ ] |
Numeric keyboard to enter [] |
To move the cursor within your answer: On a computer, use your keyboard arrow keys (, , , ). On a mobile device, use your finger or other input device. For finer cursor control on a phone: Enlarge your view of the answer box before moving the cursor.
Select Keyboard shortcuts from the toolbar to open these instructions.