Formula unit Formula unit A formula unit in chemistry is the empirical formula of any ionic or covalent network solid compound used as an independent entity for stoichiometric calculations. It is the lowest whole number ratio of ions represented in an ionic compound. Examples include ionic NaCl and KO and covalent networks such as SiO and C (as diamond or graphite). Ionic compounds do not exist as individual molecules; a formula unit thus indicates the lowest reduced ratio of ions in the compound. A "chemical formula" shows the kinds and numbers of atoms in the smallest representative unit of a substance. In
Spiro compound Spiro compound A spiro compound, or spirane, from the Latin "spīra", meaning a twist or coil, is a chemical compound, typically an organic compound, that presents a twisted structure of two or more rings (a ring system), in which 2 or 3 rings are linked together by one common atom, examples of which are shown at right. The simplest spiro compounds are bicyclic (having just two rings), or have a bicyclic portion as part of the larger ring system, in either case with the two rings connected through the defining single common atom. The one common atom connecting the participating