Question

Which of the following statements about chemical equations is true? (Subject: Chemistry)

a. Changing the subscripts to balance an equation can only be done once.
b. Coefficients represent the relative amounts of the reactants and/or products, changing the subscripts to balance an equation can only be done once, and atoms are conserved when balancing chemical equations.
c. Coefficients represent the relative amounts of the reactants and/or products.
d. Coefficients represent the relative amounts of the reactants and/or products and atoms are conserved when balancing chemical equations.
e. Atoms are conserved when balancing chemical equations.

Answer 1

Option d is correct: Coefficients indicate the relative amounts of reactants and products, and atoms are conserved in chemical equations. Changing subscripts alters the compound's identity, hence only coefficients are changed to balance equations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement about chemical equations is that coefficients represent the relative amounts of the reactants and/or products and atoms are conserved when balancing chemical equations. Thus, option d is the correct answer to the question. Subscripts should never be altered to balance a chemical equation, as they are part of the chemical identity of the compounds involved. Changing subscripts would mean you are describing a completely different chemical. The coefficients are the numbers placed in front of compounds to balance the number of atoms on both sides of the equation, adhering to the law of conservation of mass. No coefficient is implied to be 1, and all coefficients should be in the lowest possible whole number ratios.