Which of the following best describes what a chemical equation represents?

• A. A diagram showing the physical arrangement of atoms in a molecule.
• B. A list of all possible products that can be formed from a set of reactants.
• C. The symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, showing the reactants and products and their relative amounts.
• D. A summary of the physical properties of the substances involved in a reaction.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a chemical equation is a symbolic way to represent a chemical reaction.
2. Recognize that it shows the reactants (starting substances) on the left side and the products (substances formed) on the right side, separated by an arrow indicating the direction of the reaction.
3. Note that the equation includes the relative amounts of each substance, usually expressed as coefficients, to balance the number of atoms on both sides, reflecting the law of conservation of mass.
4. Distinguish that a chemical equation does not provide a physical diagram of molecules or list all possible products, but specifically represents the actual reaction occurring.
5. Conclude that the best description of a chemical equation is that it is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, showing the reactants and products and their relative amounts.