Question

molecules and structures quick check
a molecule of ethanol has two carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom. a ball - and - stick model of a molecule of ethanol is made from the following components:

• one red ball
• two black balls
• six white balls
• eight sticks

what do the black balls in the model represent?

Explanation:

In ball - and - stick models of molecules, different colors are used to represent different atoms. Carbon is often represented by black. Since the ethanol molecule has two carbon atoms and there are two black balls in the model components, the black balls represent carbon atoms.

Answer:

The black balls represent carbon atoms.