How many total atoms are in the formula Al2(CO3)3?

The formula Al2(CO3)3 consists of three different elements: aluminum (Al), carbon (C), and oxygen (O).

1. Aluminum (Al): The subscript '2' after Al indicates that there are two atoms of aluminum.

2. Carbon (C): The (CO3)3 part of the formula indicates a polyatomic ion (carbonate ion) that repeats three times. The subscript '1' (which is understood and not written) after C in CO3 indicates that there is one atom of carbon in each carbonate ion. Since the carbonate ion repeats three times, we multiply 1 carbon atom by 3 to get 3 carbon atoms.

3. Oxygen (O): The subscript '3' after O in CO3 indicates that there are three atoms of oxygen in each carbonate ion. Since the carbonate ion repeats three times, we multiply 3 oxygen atoms by 3 to get 9 oxygen atoms.

Finally, we add up the total number of atoms for each element: 2 aluminum atoms + 3 carbon atoms + 9 oxygen atoms = 14 total atoms.

Therefore, there are 14 total atoms in the formula Al2(CO3)3. This method of counting atoms in a chemical formula is fundamental in the study of chemistry, particularly in stoichiometry and balancing chemical equations.