Question

What follows an element's symbol in a chemical formula to indicate the number of atoms of that element in one molecule of the compound?

a) Charged sign
b) Superscripted number
c) Number in parentheses
d) Subscripted number

Answer 1

In a chemical formula, a subscripted number follows an element's symbol to indicate the number of atoms of that element in one molecule of the compound.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical formula of a compound denotes the elements it is composed of and their respective proportions. To indicate the number of atoms of that element in one molecule of the compound, a subscripted number follows an element's symbol. For instance, in H2O the subscript '2' signifies there are two atoms of hydrogen. If there is only a single atom of a specific element in the molecule, no subscript is used.

However, if there are two or more atoms of that element, a subscript is written immediately after the symbol for that atom. This convention helps to understand the quantity of each element present in a molecule.