questions 6 refers to the scenario below.\nin the lab, a quality assurance chemist is working with sodium…

questions 6 refers to the scenario below.\nin the lab, a quality assurance chemist is working with sodium bicarbonate, nahco₃, which is commonly known as baking soda. it is a white crystal which we typically see in powdered form. the chemist must test the sample for purity to make sure it does not contain any other substances that would make it unsafe for consumption, since this sodium bicarbonate will be used as an active ingredient in antacid medication.\n6. the scientist finds that the solution conducts electricity. this partly happens because in water, the sodium (na) atoms separate from the bicarbonate (hco₃). which particle diagram represents a pure substance which, like sodium, also cannot be broken down further by physical or chemical means?\n(a)\n(b)\n(c)\n(d)\nkey\n○ = atom of one element\n● = atom of a different element
Answer
Brief Explanations:
A pure substance that cannot be broken down further by physical or chemical means is an element. In the key, each circle (white or black) represents an atom of an element. Option A shows only one type of molecule (each molecule made of two atoms of the same element, since all the circles in the molecules are white). This represents a pure substance (an element, as all the atoms in the molecules are of the same type). Options B, C, and D have a mix of different - colored circles (representing different elements) in the molecules or as separate entities, so they are not pure substances in the sense of being an element that cannot be broken down further.
Answer:
A.