Question

1. think about the chemical formulas you saw in the video — oxygen (o₂), water (h₂o), carbon dioxide (co₂), and glucose (c₆h₁₂o₆). they each contain a subscript. a subscript is when a letter or number is shown in smaller font slightly below another letter or number. for example, in o₂, the 2 is the subscript. what does the subscript indicate in a chemical formula?

Explanation:

In a chemical formula, a subscript indicates the number of atoms of the element immediately preceding it. For example, in $O_2$, there are 2 oxygen atoms; in $H_2O$, there are 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom (the 1 is usually not written). In $CO_2$, there is 1 carbon atom and 2 oxygen atoms, and in $C_6H_{12}O_6$, there are 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms, and 6 oxygen atoms.

Answer:

The subscript in a chemical formula indicates the number of atoms of the element immediately preceding it.