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

10
10

15
15

30
30

20

Answer 1

To determine the total number of atoms in the reaction, we need to consider the reactants and the products:

1. Reactants:

   • Carbon (C): 10 atoms
   • Oxygen (O): 20 atoms

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

2. Products:

   • Each molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2) consists of 1 carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. Since there are 10 molecules of CO2 formed, we have:
     • Carbon: 10 atoms (10 CO2, 1 C each)
     • Oxygen: 20 atoms (10 CO2, 2 O each)

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

According to the law of conservation of matter, the total number of atoms before the reaction (reactants) must equal the total number of atoms after the reaction (products).

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