Question
4Fe+3O2->2Fe2O3
What happens to atoms of Fe and O2 during the reaction?
they are rearranged
they gain mass
they are lost
they maintain their properties
What happens to atoms of Fe and O2 during the reaction?
they are rearranged
they gain mass
they are lost
they maintain their properties
Answers
GPT-4o mini
During the reaction \(4\text{Fe} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3\), the atoms of iron (Fe) and oxygen (O2) are rearranged to form a new compound, iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3). Here's a breakdown of the options:
1. **They are rearranged**: This is correct. The atoms of iron and oxygen simply rearrange to form a new product without changing the identity of the elements involved.
2. **They gain mass**: This is incorrect. The total mass of the reactants (iron and oxygen) is equal to the total mass of the products (iron(III) oxide) due to the law of conservation of mass.
3. **They are lost**: This is incorrect. No atoms are lost during a chemical reaction in a closed system; they are transformed into new substances.
4. **They maintain their properties**: This is incorrect in the context of the resultant compound. While the individual atoms maintain their elemental properties, the properties of the resulting compound (Fe2O3) are different from those of the individual elements (Fe and O2).
Therefore, the best answer is **they are rearranged**.
1. **They are rearranged**: This is correct. The atoms of iron and oxygen simply rearrange to form a new product without changing the identity of the elements involved.
2. **They gain mass**: This is incorrect. The total mass of the reactants (iron and oxygen) is equal to the total mass of the products (iron(III) oxide) due to the law of conservation of mass.
3. **They are lost**: This is incorrect. No atoms are lost during a chemical reaction in a closed system; they are transformed into new substances.
4. **They maintain their properties**: This is incorrect in the context of the resultant compound. While the individual atoms maintain their elemental properties, the properties of the resulting compound (Fe2O3) are different from those of the individual elements (Fe and O2).
Therefore, the best answer is **they are rearranged**.