The chemical formula for ammonium carbonate is: (NH),CO, How many nitrogen atoms are in each formula unit of ammonium carbonate?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct chemical formula for ammonium carbonate is ( (NH_4)_2CO_3 ).
In each formula unit of ammonium carbonate, there are two nitrogen (N) atoms. Here’s an explanation:
Ammonium carbonate consists of ammonium ions and carbonate ions. The ammonium ion is ( NH_4^+ ), and the carbonate ion is ( CO_3^{2-} ).
Breakdown of Ammonium Carbonate:
- Ammonium Ion (NH₄⁺): The ammonium ion is made up of one nitrogen atom (N) and four hydrogen atoms (H). Since there are two ammonium ions in ammonium carbonate, the total nitrogen atoms contributed by the ammonium ions will be:
[
2 \times 1 = 2 \text{ nitrogen atoms}.
] - Carbonate Ion (CO₃²⁻): The carbonate ion contains one carbon (C) atom and three oxygen (O) atoms. There are no nitrogen atoms in the carbonate ion, so it does not contribute to the nitrogen count in ammonium carbonate.
Total Nitrogen Atoms:
- From the two ammonium ions, we get 2 nitrogen atoms.
- The carbonate ion does not contribute any nitrogen atoms.
Thus, the total number of nitrogen atoms in one formula unit of ammonium carbonate ( (NH_4)_2CO_3 ) is 2.
Summary:
Ammonium carbonate consists of two ammonium ions, each containing one nitrogen atom. Therefore, each formula unit of ammonium carbonate contains 2 nitrogen atoms.