Answer is: three. Unbalanced chemical reaction: Fe+4H₂O → Fe₃O₄ + 4H₂. Balanced chemical reaction: 3Fe+4H₂O → Fe₃O₄ + 4H₂. In balanced reaction, there is three iron atoms on the left and on the right, eight hydrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms on both side of chemical reaction.
"The total mass of both chemicals and the containers they are in is 15.5 g." After a chemical reaction, by conservation of mass, the total mass of the products and the two containers after reaction is the same at 15.5g.