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

15

10

20

30

Answer 1

To determine the total number of atoms present in the reaction, we need to count the atoms of each element involved.

In the reaction:

• 10 atoms of carbon (C)
• 20 atoms of oxygen (O)

When these atoms react to form carbon dioxide (CO2), each molecule of CO2 contains 1 carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms. Therefore:

• 10 molecules of CO2 contain:
  • 10 carbon atoms and
  • 20 oxygen atoms (since 10 molecules × 2 oxygen atoms per molecule = 20 oxygen atoms)

Now, let's count all the atoms involved:

• Reactants:
  • Carbon: 10 atoms
  • Oxygen: 20 atoms
• Products:
  • Carbon: 10 atoms
  • Oxygen: 20 atoms

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

So, the correct answer is 30.