Suppose 10 atoms of carbon (C) react with 20 atoms of oxygen (O) to form 10 molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2

Question

). According to the law of conservation of matter, how many atoms are present in this reaction?(1 point)
Responses

20
20

30
30

15
15

10

Answer 1

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

Let's break it down:

1. Reactants:

   • 10 atoms of carbon (C)
   • 20 atoms of oxygen (O)

   Total atoms in reactants = 10 (C) + 20 (O) = 30 atoms

2. Products:

   • Each molecule of carbon dioxide (CO₂) contains 1 atom of carbon and 2 atoms of oxygen.
   • Therefore, 10 molecules of CO₂ contain:
     • 10 atoms of carbon (from 10 CO₂)
     • 20 atoms of oxygen (10 CO₂ × 2 O atoms per CO₂)

   Total atoms in products = 10 (C) + 20 (O) = 30 atoms

According to the law of conservation of matter, the total number of atoms before and after the reaction remains the same.

So, the total number of atoms present in this reaction is 30.