'The subscripts in the chemical formula for a molecular compound are not always in the lowest ratio.' Using what you know about naming binary molecular compounds, provide evidence that supports this statement.
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When naming binary molecular compounds, the subscripts in the chemical formula indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the compound. However, these subscripts are not always in the lowest ratio. This can be evidenced by various compounds.
Consider the compound dinitrogen tetroxide, which has the chemical formula N2O4. In this compound, there are two nitrogen atoms (N) and four oxygen atoms (O). The ratio of nitrogen to oxygen atoms is 1:2, which is not the lowest possible ratio. If the formula were written as NO2 instead, the ratio would be 1:1, which is the lowest ratio. Therefore, the subscripts in the chemical formula N2O4 are not in the lowest ratio.
Another example is diboron trioxide, which has the chemical formula B2O3. In this compound, there are two boron atoms (B) and three oxygen atoms (O). The ratio of boron to oxygen atoms is 2:3, which is not the lowest possible ratio. If the formula were written as BO1.5 instead, the ratio would be 1:1.5, which is not a whole number and is not the lowest ratio. Therefore, the subscripts in the chemical formula B2O3 are not in the lowest ratio.
These examples demonstrate that in molecular compounds, the subscripts in the chemical formula are not always in the lowest ratio, and they can vary depending on the specific combination of elements in the compound.
To find evidence that supports the statement "The subscripts in the chemical formula for a molecular compound are not always in the lowest ratio," we need to understand how to name binary molecular compounds and analyze their chemical formulas.
Binary molecular compounds consist of two nonmetals bonded together. The prefix system is commonly used to indicate the number of atoms of each element in the compound. Let's consider an example using carbon and oxygen.
The prefix "mono-" is not used for the first element in the compound, so when there's only one carbon atom, the prefix is not needed. However, if there are multiple atoms of carbon, prefix modifiers are added. For oxygen, the prefix modifiers are used regardless of how many atoms are present.
For example:
1. Carbon monoxide: The formula is CO. In this compound, there is only one atom of each element present, and the subscripts are already in the lowest ratio.
2. Carbon dioxide: The formula is CO2. Here, there are two oxygen atoms for every one carbon atom. The subscripts are not in the lowest ratio, but the formula is still correct because it accurately represents the composition of the compound.
This example shows that the subscripts in the chemical formula for carbon dioxide are not in the lowest ratio. The compound's name indicates that there are two oxygen atoms for every one carbon atom, and the formula CO2 reflects this ratio.
Therefore, the evidence that supports the provided statement is the existence of binary molecular compounds like carbon dioxide, where the subscripts in the chemical formula are not always in the lowest ratio.