1. Understand the Chemical Formula:
* Al₂O₃ represents one molecule of aluminum oxide.
* 2Al₂O₃ indicates two molecules of aluminum oxide.
2. Count the Atoms per Molecule:
* Each molecule of Al₂O₃ contains:
* 2 aluminum atoms (Al)
* 3 oxygen atoms (O)
3. Calculate the Total Atoms:
* Since we have two molecules of Al₂O₃, we multiply the atoms per molecule by 2:
* Aluminum atoms: 2 Al atoms/molecule * 2 molecules = 4 Al atoms
* Oxygen atoms: 3 O atoms/molecule * 2 molecules = 6 O atoms
4. Total Atoms:
* In 2Al₂O₃, there are a total of 4 + 6 = 10 atoms.