Question

Fill in each blank.

a. A person is to a family as an atom is to a(n)________.
b. A subscript in a chemical equation is like a(n) ________algebraic expression.
c. The________of the expression 15x² is 15.
d. If a chemical equation is________both sides contain the same number of atoms of each element.

Answer 1

A person is analogous to an atom, as both represent a fundamental unit within a larger structure, like a family or a molecule. A subscript in chemical notation is a fixed number, much like in algebraic expressions and represents the amount of atoms of each element in a compound. When balancing chemical equations, one should adjust coefficients, not subscripts, to maintain equal numbers of each atom type on both sides.

Step-by-step explanation:

To answer the fill-in-the-blank questions:

1. A person is to a family as an atom is to a molecule.
2. A subscript in a chemical equation is like a fixed number in an algebraic expression.
3. The coefficient of the expression 15x² is 15.
4. If a chemical equation is balanced, both sides contain the same number of atoms of each element.

Chemical formulas use subscripts to indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule. The subscript is a fundamental part of the formula and cannot be altered to balance the equation. Instead, coefficients are used in front of the chemical formulas to ensure that the atoms of each element are the same on both sides of the equation, adhering to the law of conservation of mass. It's also important to note that molecular formulas do not indicate the structure of the molecule; they merely specify the types and numbers of atoms involved.