Final answer:
In cellular respiration, there are six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and eighteen oxygen atoms in the products, which are consistent with the conservation of mass and the stoichiometry of the balanced equation for cellular respiration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Biology, specifically focusing on cellular respiration and the stoichiometry of its reactants and products. In the process of cellular respiration, one molecule of glucose is completely oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). A molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) has six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms, and six oxygen atoms.
During cellular respiration, the six carbon atoms originally present in glucose are fully converted into six molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2), each containing one carbon atom. Therefore, there are also six carbon atoms in the products of cellular respiration.
Regarding hydrogen atoms, each molecule of water (H2O) contains two hydrogen atoms. Since cellular respiration produces six molecules of water, there are twelve hydrogen atoms in the products of cellular respiration.
For the oxygen atoms, each CO2 molecule contains two oxygen atoms and each H2O molecule contains one oxygen atom. Since there are six CO2 molecules and six H2O molecules produced, the total number of oxygen atoms in the products is:
(6 CO2 molecules x 2 O atoms/molecule) + (6 H2O molecules x 1 O atom/molecule) = 18 oxygen atoms in the products.
Finally, the balanced equation for cellular respiration confirms that both sides of the equation have the same amount of carbons (C), hydrogens (H), and oxygens (O), consistent with the law of conservation of mass.