Question

sulfuryl chloride is a substance used to make chemicals for killing insects. it breaks down over time into sulfur dioxide and chlorine gas.
consider the following reaction:
some amount of sulfuryl chloride (so₂cl₂) reacts to produce 1 molecule of sulfur dioxide (so₂) and 1 molecule of chlorine (cl₂).
use the number of atoms in the reaction to answer the question below.
chemical element | number of atoms in the reaction
o | 2
s | 1
cl | 2
during the reaction, how many molecules of sulfuryl chloride (so₂cl₂) react?

Explanation:

Step1: Write the chemical reaction equation

The reaction is \(SO_2Cl_2
ightarrow SO_2 + Cl_2\).

Step2: Analyze atom - conservation

In the reactant \(SO_2Cl_2\), there is 1 sulfur (S) atom, 2 oxygen (O) atoms and 2 chlorine (Cl) atoms. In the products \(SO_2\) and \(Cl_2\), there is 1 sulfur (S) atom, 2 oxygen (O) atoms and 2 chlorine (Cl) atoms. According to the law of conservation of atoms in a chemical reaction, 1 molecule of \(SO_2Cl_2\) reacts to produce 1 molecule of \(SO_2\) and 1 molecule of \(Cl_2\).

Answer:

1