Read a chemical formula and its ball-and-stick model
Grade 8 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
Ari labels a water drop drawing with its formula, H₂O. How many oxygen atoms are in one water molecule?
- 1 oxygen atom
- 2 oxygen atoms
- 0 oxygen atoms
- 3 oxygen atoms
Bo blows up a balloon, and the breath inside holds some carbon dioxide, CO₂. How many carbon atoms are in one CO₂ molecule?
- 0 carbon atoms
- 2 carbon atoms
- 3 carbon atoms
- 1 carbon atom
On a quiz, Esme meets ammonia, NH₃, a gas with a very strong smell. How many hydrogen atoms are in one NH₃ molecule?
- 2 hydrogen atoms
- 4 hydrogen atoms
- 3 hydrogen atoms
- 1 hydrogen atom
One large ball lettered C in the middle, joined by 4 sticks to 4 small balls lettered H. Jun builds methane, CH₄, from clay balls and toothpicks. The model has 1 C ball, 4 H balls and 4 sticks. How many atoms does it show?
- 2 atoms
- 4 atoms
- 8 atoms
- 5 atoms
Luz looks at a hydrogen peroxide model: H–O–O–H, with 3 sticks joining 4 balls in a zigzag. How many atoms does the model show?
- 7 atoms
- 3 atoms
- 4 atoms
- 2 atoms
Symbol and name. C carbon; Ca calcium; Co cobalt; O oxygen. Noah finds a seashell on the beach. Shells are mostly CaCO₃. Which element does the symbol Ca stand for?
- Carbon
- Calcium
- Two elements, C and a
- Cobalt
Symbol and name. C carbon; Co cobalt; O oxygen. Pia compares two formulas on a card: Co and CO. Which one shows atoms of two different elements?
- Neither one
- CO: carbon and oxygen
- Co: carbon and o
- Both show the same two elements
The gas that heats Ren's cooking pot is mostly methane, CH₄. What does one CH₄ molecule hold?
- 2 atoms: 1 carbon, 1 hydrogen
- 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms
- 4 carbon atoms and 1 hydrogen atom
- 4 hydrogen atoms and no carbon atom
Tala fills a party balloon with air from a pump. Air is mostly nitrogen, N₂. What does one N₂ molecule hold?
Ball-and-stick model of nitrogen, N₂: two balls lettered N joined by a triple stick. Ball-and-stick model of nitrogen, N₂: two balls lettered N joined by a triple stick. nitrogen, N₂ N N - 1 nitrogen atom
- 4 nitrogen atoms
- 2 nitrogen atoms
- 3 nitrogen atoms
Zee reads the label H₂O on a science poster. What does one water molecule hold?
- 1 hydrogen atom and 2 oxygen atoms
- 2 atoms: 1 hydrogen, 1 oxygen
- 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom
- 2 hydrogen atoms and no oxygen