The chemical equation given below represents the chemical reaction between lithium (Li) and sulfur (S). In the equation, why is the number 2 present in front of lithium on the reactants side of the equation?

Question

A.
to show the atomic number of lithium in the periodic table
B.
to show the number of lithium atoms involved in the reaction
C.
to show the number of electrons gained by lithium in the reaction
D.
to show the number of electrons lost by lithium in the reaction

Answer 1

The number 2 present in front of lithium (Li) on the reactants side of the equation is B. to show the number of lithium atoms involved in the reaction.

This coefficient indicates that two lithium atoms are reacting with sulfur in the chemical equation.