Question

select the correct answer. sodium bicarbonate is the chemical name for baking soda. its chemical formula is nahco₃. what does the subscript 3 mean? a. there are three molecules of sodium bicarbonate. b. there are three molecules of oxygen in sodium bicarbonate. c. there are three atoms of oxygen in sodium bicarbonate. d. there are three atoms of sodium bicarbonate.

Explanation:

In a chemical formula, a subscript indicates the number of atoms of the element it follows. In $NaHCO_3$, the subscript 3 follows oxygen (O), meaning there are three oxygen atoms in one - molecule of sodium bicarbonate.

Answer:

C. There are three atoms of oxygen in sodium bicarbonate.