Keyboard shortcuts: Enter chemical expressions

Updated 07 Mar 2023

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.

Subscript, superscript, and stacked subscript/superscript (for isotope)

For this format	Type this from your keyboard	On a tablet or smartphone, open the ...
N3 (subscript)	_ (underbar)	Numeric keyboard to enter _
102 (superscript)	^	Numeric keyboard to enter ^
	\stack	Letters keyboard to enter \stack

For this format

Type this from your keyboard

On a tablet or smartphone, open the ...

(subscript)

_ (underbar)

Numeric keyboard to enter _

102

(superscript)

Numeric keyboard to enter ^

stacked subscript/superscript (for isotope)

\stack

Letters keyboard to enter \stack

Arrows (reaction, equilibrium)

For this chemical symbol	Type this from your keyboard	On a tablet or smartphone, open the ...
	-> or --> (\-> and \--> also work.)	Numeric keyboard to enter -> or -->
	\= or \eq	Letters keyboard to enter \eq

For this chemical symbol

Type this from your keyboard

On a tablet or smartphone, open the ...

forward reaction arrow symbol

-> or -->

(\-> and \--> also work.)

Numeric keyboard to enter -> or -->

equilibrium arrow symbol

\= or \eq

Letters keyboard to enter \eq

Plus, minus, fraction, and dot

For this character or format	Type this from your keyboard	On a tablet or smartphone, open the ...
+	+	Numeric keyboard to enter +
-	- (hyphen)	Numeric keyboard to enter -
(fraction)	/	Numeric keyboard to enter /
(multiplication dot)	* (asterisk)	Numeric keyboard to enter *

Greek letter symbols

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

Overbar

For this format	Type this from your keyboard	On a tablet or smartphone, open the ...
	\bar	Letters keyboard to enter \bar

Parentheses and brackets

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.

More about how to enter chemical expression answers