LaTeX help

[deadly7]

Hey all-

I'm trying to use LaTeX to write a lab report for bio.. How do I have the following 3 items directly above each other in this order?

\beta-galactosidase
\rightarrow
H_{2}O

I tried this formula but it didn't work, and I dunno what else to do. Maybe an array or a vector? But I don't want the associated braces that come with them..
\displaystyle C_{12}H_{22}O_{11} \over{\beta-galactosidase}\longrightarrow \under{H_{2}O}

[Sidoh]

Use tables?  The array/vector structures don't automatically add braces, by the way.

This should work fine (http://t.sidoh.org/?OhAIEA==):
\begin{tabular}{l}
$\beta-galactosidase$ \\
$\rightarrow$ \\
$H_2O$ \\
\end{tabular}

If that's not what you're looking for, I don't think I understand what you're asking.  Maybe you can upload a handwritten version?

[deadly7]

Thanks, Sidoh, but I foudn another way around it. I tried a matrix and it had the text centered above the arrow like I wanted.. here's the final version of the entire rxn:
\displaystyle C_{12}H_{22}O_{11} \begin{matrix}
\beta-galactosidase \\
\longrightarrow \\
H_{2}O
\end{matrix}
C_{6}H_{12}O_{6} (Galactose) + C_{6}H_{12}O_{6} (Glucose)


Incidentally, have you looked at the Chem Latex package? I don't know if it's actually any useful or not but it may be worth looking into: http://hypography.com/forums/chemistry/14321-chemistry-latex-package-please-read.html

[Sidoh]

Oh, I see what it was you were wanting.  I couldn't really see what you meant by your wording.  Pictures are much easier.

Nah.  I have no use for it.  However, if you'd like me to install it for use in latex.sidoh.org, I can probably look into it if you'd like.

[Sidoh]

Incidentally, you might consider enclosing things that should be in "text mode" instead of "math mode" in dollar-signs.  Note that this is not how it would work if you were composing a LaTeX document (it'd be the inverse), but because the way this thing is set up, everything is in math mode by default.

Example:
[tex]\displaystyle C_{12}H_{22}O_{11} \begin{matrix}
\beta-$galactosidase$ \\
\longrightarrow \\
H_{2}O
\end{matrix}
C_{6}H_{12}O_{6} ($Galactose$) + C_{6}H_{12}O_{6} ($Glucose$)[/tex]