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How many different types of atoms are in H2O?

Published in Chemistry Basics 1 min read

There are two different types of atoms in H2O (water): Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O).

Water, represented chemically as H2O, is a molecule composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. While the molecule consists of three atoms in total, those atoms are not all the same type. There are two types present: hydrogen and oxygen.

Here's a breakdown:

  • H2O Composition: This formula indicates the following:
    • H: Represents the element Hydrogen.
    • 2: Indicates that there are two atoms of Hydrogen in the molecule.
    • O: Represents the element Oxygen.
    • Implied 1: Since there's no number after O, it means there's one atom of Oxygen in the molecule.

Therefore, even though there are three atoms in a single water molecule, there are only two different types of those atoms: Hydrogen and Oxygen.

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