Final answer:
The total number of atoms in the chemical equation C3H8 + 5O2 -> 4H2O + 3CO2 is 42. This is calculated by counting the atoms on each side of the equation and then summing them up.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the total number of atoms in the chemical equation C3H8 + 5O2 -> 4H2O + 3CO2, we count the atoms of each element on either side of the equation:
- C3H8 has 3 carbon (C) atoms and 8 hydrogen (H) atoms.
- 5O2 has 10 oxygen (O) atoms (since there are 5 molecules, each with 2 O atoms).
- 4H2O has 8 hydrogen (H) atoms and 4 oxygen (O) atoms.
- 3CO2 has 3 carbon (C) atoms and 6 oxygen (O) atoms.
Adding these up, we get a total of: 3 C + 8 H + 10 O (from reactants) and 3 C + 8 H + 10 O (from products), which is equal to 3 + 8 + 10 = 21 atoms on both sides.
However, this is the count per each side of the equation, and to get the total number of atoms involved in the reaction, we need to sum up the atoms from both the reactants and products: 21 (from reactants) + 21 (from products) = 42.
Therefore, the correct answer is D) 42.