Building Molecular Models with Jelly Beans: Understanding NaHCO3 Structure

Let's break down the components of a **sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)** molecule according to what you provided: - **Na** = Sodium (red jelly beans) - **H** = Hydrogen (white jelly beans) - **C** = Carbon (black jelly beans) - **O₃** = Oxygen (blue jelly beans), which means three oxygen atoms. So, **one molecule of NaHCO₃** needs: - 1 Sodium atom (**1 red jelly bean**) - 1 Hydrogen atom (**1 white jelly bean**) - 1 Carbon atom (**1 black jelly bean**) - 3 Oxygen atoms (**3 blue jelly beans**) **Since you want to make two models**, just double each number: ## Calculation for Two Models - **Sodium (red jelly beans):** 1 × 2 = **2** - **Hydrogen (white jelly beans):** 1 × 2 = **2** - **Carbon (black jelly beans):** 1 × 2 = **2** - **Oxygen (blue jelly beans):** 3 × 2 = **6** --- ## **Summary Table** | Atom (Jelly Bean Color) | Needed for One Molecule | Needed for Two Molecules | |-------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------| | Sodium (Red) | 1 | 2 | | Hydrogen (White) | 1 | 2 | | Carbon (Black) | 1 | 2 | | Oxygen (Blue) | 3 | 6 | --- ## **You need:** - **2 red jelly beans** - **2 white jelly beans** - **2 black jelly beans** - **6 blue jelly beans** **Explanation:** Each molecule requires one red, one white, one black, and three blue jelly beans to represent the correct atoms. Since you’re building two identical models, you need to double the amount for each atom.