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:
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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: \[ 2 \times 3 = 6 \text{ O} \text{ atoms} \]
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In the products:
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\(\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3\) contains 3 oxygen atoms.
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\(3 \text{H}_2\text{O}\) contains 1 oxygen atom for each water molecule, so: \[ 3 \times 1 = 3 \text{ O} \text{ atoms} \]
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Thus, in total for the products, the number of oxygen atoms is: \[ 3 + 3 = 6 \text{ O} \text{ atoms} \]
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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.