Question

how many (O) atoms are involved in this chemical reaction
2Fe(OH)subscript3--->Fe subscript2 O subscript3+3H subscript2 O

Answer 1

To determine the number of oxygen (O) atoms involved in the reaction:

\[
2 \text{Fe(OH)}_3 \rightarrow \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 + 3 \text{H}_2\text{O}
\]

let's break it down:

1. In the reactants, \(2 \text{Fe(OH)}_3\):
- Each \(\text{Fe(OH)}_3\) contains **3 hydroxide (OH)** groups, each of which has **1 oxygen** atom.
- Therefore, in \(2 \text{Fe(OH)}_3\), the number of oxygen atoms is:
\[
2 \times 3 = 6 \text{ O} \text{ atoms}
\]

2. In the products:
- \(\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3\) contains **3 oxygen** atoms.
- \(3 \text{H}_2\text{O}\) contains **1 oxygen** atom for each water molecule, so:
\[
3 \times 1 = 3 \text{ O} \text{ atoms}
\]

- Thus, in total for the products, the number of oxygen atoms is:
\[
3 + 3 = 6 \text{ O} \text{ atoms}
\]

In conclusion, the number of oxygen atoms involved in the entire reaction (reactants and products) is consistent:

- **Reactants**: 6 O atoms
- **Products**: 6 O atoms

Therefore, the balanced equation properly conserves the number of oxygen atoms involved in the reaction.