Chemically Significant Text

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Often it is simpler to write a chemical formula like MeOH or H₂O than it is to draw out an entire atoms-and-bonds structure. ChemDraw correctly interprets any unambiguous structural formula. For example, CH₃COCH₂CH₃ is recognized as methyl ethyl ketone and MeOH is recognized as methanol. On the other hand, C₆H₆ might mean benzene, or it might mean one of over 200 other isomers. C₆H₆ is not recognized by ChemDraw, and generates an error message if you try to analyze it. Generally, empirical formulas (C₂H₆ and H₂SO₄) are not recognized, but structural formulas (CH₃CH₃ and HOSO₂OH) are.

Molecular weight and elemental analyses of empirical structures is possible, but the Expand Label command does not work with them. Empirical structures are discarded when they are transferred to other applications that require unambiguous structures.

Chemically-significant text must be entirely in Formula or, for isotopes and charges, Superscript style. ChemDraw does not recognize a chemical formula embedded within a larger block of text.

	If you draw a bond, add an atom label, and then delete the bond, you have a chemically meaningful text block whose font, size, and style match other atom labels.
	If you create a caption with the text tool and set it to Formula style, you have a chemically meaningful text block whose font, size, and style match other captions.