Math & Science ⇒ SuperSubscripts for chemistry equations:

[Eenzc]

Hello,

I'm trying to format my chemical equations just right and I think I'm almost there.

The problem being that a normal subscript in just not low enough and the superscirpt following a chemical symbol that denotes charge needs to be slightly set to the right but not by a full space.

I wrote a simple macro to sub\sub\sub script my numbers to the correct place below the line.. it goes like this.

Code: Select all

%%%%%%%%%%%%

% new command for chemistry subscripts

\newcommand{\cu}[1]{_{_{_{\scriptsize #1}}}}

% useage eg: for H2 = H \cu{2}

%%%%%%%%%%%%

So thats fine, however now the text size is slightly smaller than that of the text size for the normal superscript which I'm using for the charge number.


For example:

Code: Select all

\begin{align}
\mathrm{Hg\cu{2}HPO\cu{4} + 2~e} 					~& \mathrm{\rightleftharpoons 2~Hg + HPO\cu{4}^{~2-} } 				
~& E : \SI{+0.6359}{V} 				\\
\end{align}

note: there was some extra formatting macros in the above code for the E symbol and numeration counter that I have omitted for clarity.

So my problem is that the superscript and the subsubsub script sizes are different but I cannot change their size using \scriptsize size command because they are inside the mathmode.

Any help greatly recieved.

[localghost]

I think the mhchem package will solve all your problems.


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten¹

[Eenzc]

Thanks, I will do that I invested some time trying to get it right but seeing that someone else has done the hard work there is no point in me reinventing the wheel.

[localghost]

This package will simplify typesetting chemical equations. It makes your example look like the following.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage[version=3]{mhchem}
\usepackage{siunitx}

\begin{document}
  \begin{align}
    \cee{Hg2HPO4 &<=>C[+2e]} \ce{2Hg}+\ce{HPO4^2-} & E:~\SI{+0.6359}{V}
  \end{align}
\end{document}

I guess that should be suitable.