Molecules and Structures Quick Check
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Question
A molecule of ethanol has two carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom. A ball-and-stick model of a molecule of ethanol is made from the following components:
one red ball
two black balls
six white balls
eight sticks
What do the black balls in the model represent?
(1 point)
Responses
oxygen atoms
oxygen atoms
hydrogen atoms
hydrogen atoms
carbon atoms
carbon atoms
bonds between atoms
The black balls in the model of ethanol represent carbon atoms.
To determine what the black balls in the model represent, we need to understand the components of the ethanol molecule and the purpose of the ball-and-stick model. The ethanol molecule consists of two carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom.
In a ball-and-stick model, the balls represent atoms, and the sticks represent bonds between atoms. Therefore, the black balls in the model would represent the carbon atoms in the ethanol molecule.
To arrive at this answer, we need to count the number of carbon atoms in the ethanol molecule, which is given as two in the question. So, the black balls in the model represent the carbon atoms.