Final answer:
To find the number of elements in the molecule H2(SO3)3, we add 2 hydrogen atoms to 1x3 sulfur atoms, plus 3x3 oxygen atoms, which totals 14 elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
Counting Elements in a Molecule
To count the number of elements in the molecule H2(SO3)3”, we first need to understand that the compound is made up of hydrogen (H), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O) atoms. In the given compound, there are 2 hydrogen atoms, as indicated by the subscript outside the parentheses and applied to the H within. For the SO3 group, we have one sulfur atom and three oxygen atoms; and since this group is within parentheses with a subscript of 3, it means we have three of these SO3 groups. Therefore, we multiply by 3 to get the total number of sulfur and oxygen atoms: 3 sulfur atoms and 9 oxygen atoms.
Adding these together:
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- Hydrogen atoms: 2
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- Sulfur atoms: 1 × 3 = 3
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- Oxygen atoms: 3 × 3 = 9
So, the total number of elements present in the molecule is 2 (H) + 3 (S) + 9 (O) = 14 elements.