Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes the smallest unit of a chemical compound that still retains the properties of that compound?
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3. Chemical Reactions
Molecular Formula
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Which description best describes a molecular formula?
A
It lists the elements present in a compound without indicating their quantities.
B
It shows the exact number of each type of atom in a molecule.
C
It shows the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms in a compound.
D
It represents the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that a molecular formula provides specific information about a molecule's composition.
Recognize that the molecular formula shows the exact number of each type of atom present in a single molecule of the compound.
Differentiate the molecular formula from the empirical formula, which shows the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms, not the exact count.
Note that the molecular formula does not describe the arrangement or spatial orientation of atoms; that is the role of structural or three-dimensional formulas.
Conclude that the best description of a molecular formula is that it shows the exact number of each type of atom in a molecule.
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