Question

a coefficient serves which purpose in a chemical equation? (1 point)
it shows how many atoms there are of a particular element inside of a molecule.
it shows how many molecules there are of a particular substance.
it shows how many atoms are in a chemical molecule.
it shows how many atoms there are of a particular element.

Explanation:

In a chemical equation, a coefficient is placed in front of a chemical formula. For example, in \(2H_2O\), the coefficient \(2\) indicates that there are \(2\) molecules of water (\(H_2O\)). The number of atoms of a particular element in a molecule is shown by the subscript (e.g., in \(H_2O\), the subscript \(2\) for \(H\) shows there are \(2\) hydrogen atoms per water molecule). The total number of atoms in a chemical molecule is found by adding up the atoms from all elements (e.g., \(H_2O\) has \(3\) atoms in total). And the number of atoms of a particular element (without considering the molecule context) can be found by multiplying the coefficient (if any) and the subscript (e.g., in \(2H_2O\), hydrogen atoms are \(2\times2 = 4\)). But the main role of the coefficient is to show the number of molecules of a particular substance.

Answer:

It shows how many molecules there are of a particular substance.