Which of the following pairs cannot be represented with a chemical formula?
Answer Details
The pair that cannot be represented with a chemical formula is air and bronze.
Air is a mixture of several gases, primarily nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂), with small amounts of other gases such as argon (Ar), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and neon (Ne). Since air is a mixture and not a pure substance, it cannot be represented by a chemical formula.
Bronze, on the other hand, is an alloy composed mainly of copper (Cu) and tin (Sn) with small amounts of other metals. The composition of bronze can vary depending on the specific alloy, but it can be represented by a chemical formula such as CuSn.
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is a compound composed of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) in a fixed ratio of 1:1, and it can be represented by a chemical formula.
Similarly, copper (Cu) and sodium chloride (NaCl) can each be represented by a chemical formula. Cu is an element, so its chemical formula is simply its symbol, while NaCl is a compound with a fixed ratio of sodium and chlorine atoms.
Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) and washing soda (sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃) are both compounds that can be represented by chemical formulas. NaOH consists of one sodium atom, one oxygen atom, and one hydrogen atom, while Na₂CO₃ consists of two sodium atoms, one carbon atom, and three oxygen atoms.