Final answer:
The presence of subscripts or coefficients in a chemical formula depends on the number of each type of atom present and the balancing of the equation. Subscripts indicate a multiple number of atoms within the compound, while coefficients balance the equation and signify the amount of molecules or formula units involved in the reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Predicting Chemical Formulas: Subscripts and Coefficients
To predict whether the chemical formula will include subscripts, coefficients, or both, you need to understand the difference between these two types of numbers in chemical equations. Subscripts are used within chemical formulas to indicate the number of atoms of an element present in the compound. If there's more than one atom of a specific type, a subscript is included right after the element symbol (e.g., H2O for water, where '2' is the subscript indicating two hydrogen atoms).
Coefficients, on the other hand, are numbers placed before the chemical formulas to show how many molecules or formula units are involved in the reaction. For example, in the equation 2H2O, '2' is the coefficient indicating two molecules of water. No coefficient is written if there's only one molecule or formula unit.
In sum, to determine the presence of subscripts or coefficients in a chemical formula, analyse the atomic models given and check the number of each type of atom. If more than one atom of a specific type is present, use subscripts. To balance the equation and ensure equal numbers of each atom on both sides, use coefficients. Just remember, never change the subscripts in a chemical formula; you can only balance equations by adjusting coefficients. After balancing, make sure all coefficients are in the lowest possible ratio.