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What does the chemical formula C_3H_6O tell about a molecule?

A) It is made up of 3 atoms of 11 different elements.
B) It is made up of 11 atoms joined in a straight line.
C) It is made up of 11 total atoms of 3 different elements.
D) It is made up of 1 atom composed of 3 different elements.

User Dean North
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The chemical formula C3H6O indicates that the molecule consists of 3 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom, totaling 11 atoms. It does not provide structural details or the arrangement of these atoms within the molecule.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical formula C3H6O conveys specific information about a molecule, namely the number of each type of atom present. This molecule contains 3 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom, summing to a total of 11 atoms. However, this molecular formula does not provide details on the actual arrangement of these atoms, whether they are in a straight line or in a different structure.

By comparing to similar cases, we can see that molecular formulas sometimes correspond to different structural formulas. For example, the molecular formula C6H12O6 represents glucose and shows a 1:2:1 simplest whole-number ratio, leading to the empirical formula CH2O. Yet, this formula doesn't reveal the molecule's three-dimensional structure or bonds between atoms.

In the case of C3H6O, without additional information or a structural formula, we cannot assume a linear arrangement or the structure of the molecule.

User Martin Nielsen
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