Question

In the product 6O₂, what does the coefficient mean?

A. There are 12 molecules of O₂
B. There are 8 molecules of O₂
C. There are 6 molecules of O₂
D. There are 2 molecules of O₂.

Answer 1

The coefficient '6' in the chemical formula 6O₂ signifies that there are 6 molecules of O₂. This is based on the stoichiometric coefficients used in balanced chemical equations to maintain the conservation of mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the chemical formula 6O₂, the coefficient '6' indicates how many units of the molecule O₂ (oxygen) are present. Oxygen is a diatomic molecule, meaning two atoms of oxygen are bonded together to form one molecule of O₂. Therefore, the correct interpretation of the coefficient in 6O₂ is that there are 6 molecules of O₂, not 12, 8, or 2 molecules.

When looking at a balanced chemical equation, coefficients are used to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both the reactants side and the products side, thereby following the Law of Conservation of Mass. For instance, in a reaction where the coefficient is 2 in front of O₂, the number of oxygen molecules used as reactants is doubled.