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 chemical formulas, subscripts indicate the number of atoms of the preceding element. In NaHCO₃, the subscript 3 follows O (oxygen), meaning 3 oxygen atoms per molecule.

Answer:

C. There are three atoms of oxygen in sodium bicarbonate