Can anyone tell me the Number of Ca, P, O, Mg and atoms in the following: Mg3(PO2) (s) + 3 Ca(NO2) 2 (aq)?
1 Answer
3 Mg atoms
1 P atom
2 O atoms
3 Ca atoms
6 N atoms
12 O atoms
Explanation:
Okay, so this is all about notation in chemistry.
The lowercase number immediately AFTER an atom is how many atoms of that element are in one molecule of the given substance.
I.e.
The number BEFORE the molecule denotes how many molecules of a given substance (or element) are present in the reaction.
I.e.
If atoms are denoted in brackets within a molecule they form their own group within the molecule and thus the lowercase number AFTER the closed bracket
I.e.
In your example;
You have;
3 Mg atoms
1 P atom
2 O atoms
3 Ca atoms
6 N atoms
12 O atoms