1 Explain the meaning of various chemical formulas (empirical, molecular, and structural formulas). 2  Calculate weight and mole percentages from a formula.  Derive chemical formulas from a given set of information.
A: Zinc belongs to the family of elements found in Group 12. Some other elements in this family are cadmium and mercury. These three elements are metals, but mercury is a metal that is liquid at room temperature, while zinc and cadmium are solids at room temperature.
Zinc is the 24th most abundant element in the Earth's crust. Zinc is the fourth most common metal used today (after iron, aluminum and copper). Zinc exposed to air will form a layer of zinc carbonate by reacting with carbon dioxide. This layer protects the metal from further reactions with air or water.