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Select the Correct Answer. The Image Shows a Molecular Model of a Compound Using Balls and Sticks. Each Ball Is an Atom and Each Stick

Question

Select the correct answer. The image shows a molecular model of a compound using balls and sticks. Each ball is an atom and each stick is a bond If you were to use balls and sticks to model a molecule of an element how must your model differ from what's shown? A.The sticks must be shorter B. The balls must be the same color. C. The balls must be smaller D. The balls must change to cubes

Answer

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Answer

To answer this question, we need to understand the difference between a compound and a molecule of an element.A compound is a substance formed when two or more different elements are chemically bonded together. In the image described, the blue circle represents one type of atom, and the red circles represent another type of atom. The sticks represent the bonds between these atoms.A molecule of an element, on the other hand, is made up of two or more atoms of the same element bonded together. Since the atoms are of the same element, they would be represented by balls of the same color in a molecular model.Now let's go through the options:A. The sticks must be shorter - The length of the sticks represents the distance between the centers of the atoms (bond length). The bond length does not necessarily change when modeling a molecule of an element versus a compound, so this is not correct.B. The balls must be the same color - This is correct because a molecule of an element consists of the same type of atoms, and in a model, these would be represented by balls of the same color.C. The balls must be smaller - The size of the balls typically represents the relative size of the atoms. The size of the atoms does not change based on whether they are part of a compound or a molecule of an element, so this is not correct.D. The balls must change to cubes - The shape of the balls represents the spherical nature of atoms. Changing the shape to cubes does not reflect the reality of atomic structure, so this is not correct.The correct answer is:B. The balls must be the same color.