Suppose 10 atoms of carbon (C) react with 20 atoms of oxygen (O) to form 10 molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2). According to the law of conservation of matter, how many atoms are present in this reaction?(1 point)

1 answer

In the reaction, 10 atoms of carbon (C) combine with 20 atoms of oxygen (O) to form 10 molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2).

In each molecule of carbon dioxide, there is 1 carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. Therefore, in 10 molecules of carbon dioxide, there are:
10 x 1 carbon atoms = 10 carbon atoms
10 x 2 oxygen atoms = 20 oxygen atoms

So, in total, there would be 10 carbon atoms + 20 oxygen atoms = 30 atoms in this reaction.