Historically, equivalent-weight chemistry (Wollaston, Geoffroy) systematized distinct compounds without atomic formulas, showing formulas are not uniquely necessary for distinction.

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Atomic formulas(as a method for describing chemical composition): A way of writing what a chemical compound is made of by showing which atoms and how many of each are present (like H₂O for water).
Equivalent-weight chemistry(as a historical approach to chemistry): An older system for organizing chemical compounds based on how much of each substance reacts with others, rather than counting individual atoms.
Uniquely necessary(describing whether atomic formulas are required to identify chemicals): Something that is the only way something else can be true or understood—if it's missing, the thing cannot exist or be known.
William Wollaston(as a historical scientist mentioned in the statement): An 18th-century English chemist and physicist who developed methods for analyzing and classifying chemical compounds without needing to know their atomic structure.

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