Scientists use chemical formulas to show the type and number of atoms in a compound. The chemical formula for ethanol is C_{2} * H_{5}' . How many atoms of each element are found in 1 molecule of ethanol? A. 1 carbon atom, 1 hydrogen atom, and 1 oxygen atom B. 2 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom C. 2 carbon atoms, 5 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom D. 1 carbon atom, 3 hydrogen atoms, and 5 oxygen atoms

Answer 1

The chemical formula for ethanol is C₂H₅OH. This shows that in one molecule of ethanol, there are:

• 2 carbon (C) atoms
• 6 hydrogen (H) atoms (5 from C₂H₅ and 1 from OH, totaling 6)
• 1 oxygen (O) atom

So, the correct answer is: C. 2 carbon atoms, 5 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom.

Please note that the initial statement had an error in the number of hydrogen atoms; the provided chemical structure was incomplete as it didn't show the oxygen atom, which is part of ethanol. However, the correct count of atoms gives us the conclusion as above.