A molecule of ethanol has two carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom. A ball-and-stick model of a molecule of ethanol is made from the following components:

Question

one red ball
two black balls
six white balls
eight sticks

What do the black balls in the model represent?

(1 point)
Responses

Answer 1

In a ball-and-stick model of a molecule of ethanol (C₂H₆O), the black balls represent carbon atoms. Each carbon atom is commonly depicted using a black ball in such models. Therefore, the two black balls in the model correspond to the two carbon atoms in the ethanol molecule.