suppose 10 atoms of carbon (c) react with 20 atoms of oxygen (o) to form 10 molecules of carbon dioxide (co2). according to the law of conservation of matter, how many atoms are present in this reaction?

Question

30
10
15
20

Answer 1

To determine the total number of atoms present in the reaction, we can analyze the reactants and products.

1. Reactants:

   • Carbon (C): 10 atoms
   • Oxygen (O): 20 atoms
   • Total atoms in reactants = 10 (C) + 20 (O) = 30 atoms

2. Products:

   • The reaction produces carbon dioxide (CO₂).
   • Each molecule of CO₂ contains 1 carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms.
   • Since there are 10 molecules of CO₂:
     • Carbon atoms in products = 10 (since 10 molecules x 1 C each)
     • Oxygen atoms in products = 20 (since 10 molecules x 2 O each)
   • Total atoms in products = 10 (C) + 20 (O) = 30 atoms

According to the law of conservation of matter, the number of atoms before the reaction (30) must equal the number of atoms after the reaction (30).

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