Question

The following balanced equation shows the decomposition of water (H2O). According to the equation, how many oxygen atoms are in the reactants? 2 H2O 2H2 + O2 0 1 2 4

Answer 1

Answer: The number of oxygen atoms in the reactant side will be 2

Explanation:

Law of conservation of mass states that mass can neither be created nor can be destroyed, but it can only be transformed from one form to another form.

This also means that total number of individual atoms on the reactant side must be equal to the total number of individual atoms on the product side.

Every balanced chemical equation follows law of conservation of mass.

The given balanced chemical equation follows:

$2H_2O\rightarrow 2H_2+O_2$

On reactant side:

Number of hydrogen atoms = 4

Number of oxygen atoms = 2

On product side:

Number of hydrogen atoms = 4

Number of oxygen atoms = 2

From the above information, the number of oxygen atoms in the reactant side will be 2

Answer 2

2 possibly 3 depends on if that of what looks like a zero is an O which it isn't so 2 but if it is 3.