How many of the following statements are true concerning chemical equations? I.Coefficients can be fractions.
II.Subscripts can be fractions.
III.Coefficients represent the relative masses of the reactants and/or products.
IV.Changing the subscripts to balance an equation can only be done once.
V.Atoms are conserved when balancing chemical equations.
A)1
B)2
C)3
D)4
E)5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

I, III, V. Coefficients in chemical equations can indeed be fractions, though they are usually simplified to whole numbers for clarity. Coefficients represent the relative amounts (not necessarily masses) of reactants and products, which can be related to the moles of the substances involved, thus indirectly to their masses via molar mass. Atoms are conserved in chemical reactions, which is a fundamental principle of balancing equations. Subscripts represent the number of atoms in a molecule and changing them would change the substance itself, not balance the equation. There is no rule that changing subscripts can only be done once; in fact, changing subscripts is not a correct method for balancing chemical equations.

How Many of the Following Statements Are True Concerning Chemical