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Which information could a student determine from only the chemical formula of a substance?

Option 1: the physical arrangement of atoms in the structure of the substance
Option 2: the number of atoms of each element in the substance
Option 3: the color of the substance

User Dunadar
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The chemical formula of a substance informs about the number of atoms of each element, but not their physical arrangement or the substance's color.

Step-by-step explanation:

From only the chemical formula of a substance, a student can determine the number of atoms of each element in the substance. This is because the chemical formula provides a symbolic representation where each element is denoted by its chemical symbol, and the quantity of each element is indicated by a subscript number. For example, in the chemical formula H2O, there are 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom. However, the chemical formula does not reveal the physical arrangement of atoms in the structure of the substance (Option 1), nor does it provide information about the color of the substance (Option 3).

User JJMpls
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