Question

In the chemical equation 3c2h4 how many atoms of carbon are represented

Answer 1

An example.
water is H2O

2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen

so the number to the right means how much of what is on the left.

so it looks like 2, because C2, but look at the 3 at the beginning. that means
3 (c2h4)

so 6 carbons, 12 hydrogen

the ratio of c2 to h4 doesn't change it's always 1:2.

but the 3 at the front is a different number relating to how much you have