In the chemical reaction \(4, \text{Fe} + 3, \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2, \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3\), the following occurs with the atoms of iron (Fe) and oxygen (O2):
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Atoms of Iron (Fe): Four atoms of iron react with oxygen. In the products, these atoms combine to form iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3), resulting in a total of four iron atoms present in the two molecules of Fe2O3 produced.
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Atoms of Oxygen (O2): Three molecules of diatomic oxygen (O2) react in the reaction. Each O2 molecule contains two oxygen atoms, thus contributing a total of six oxygen atoms. In the products, these six oxygen atoms combine with the iron atoms to form two molecules of iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3), where each molecule contains three oxygen atoms (totaling six oxygen atoms).
In summary, during the reaction, the atoms of Fe and O2 are rearranged to form new chemical bonds in the products (Fe2O3), but the total number of Fe and O atoms remains conserved. This reaction demonstrates the law of conservation of mass: the atoms present in the reactants (Fe and O2) are transformed and rearranged to form the products (Fe2O3) without any loss of mass.