Final answer:
The symbols 'C' and 'O' in the molecule 3(CO₂) represent carbon and oxygen, respectively. CO₂ is the chemical formula for carbon dioxide, a nonpolar molecule consisting of one carbon atom double bonded to two oxygen atoms. When written as 3(CO₂), it indicates three molecules of carbon dioxide.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the molecule 3(CO₂), the symbols represent the atoms and their quantity in a given compound. 'C' stands for carbon, and 'O' stands for oxygen. The subscript '2' following the 'O' indicates there are two oxygen atoms for every one carbon atom. Therefore, CO₂ represents carbon dioxide, which is a linear molecule where a single carbon atom is double bonded to two oxygen atoms. When written as 3(CO₂), it signifies that there are three molecules of carbon dioxide.
The provided statement about the carbon monoxide molecule is incorrect in this context because CO (carbon monoxide) and CO₂ (carbon dioxide) are two different compounds. The chemical structure of carbon dioxide does not have a triple bond between carbon and oxygen; instead, each carbon atom has two double bonds with two oxygen atoms. Moreover, CO₂ is a nonpolar molecule due to the symmetrical arrangement of the polarity of bonds which cancel each other out.