can coefficients in chemical equations be decimals?

Answer 1

Yes - but they are usually multiplied out so there is no ambiguity (ie: 1.5 vs. 15)

Answer 2

Absolutely. But high school teachers and some college professors like you to report final equations with whole number coefficients (find the least common multiple of all the coefficients).

There is nothing physically wrong with fractional coefficients, though. My old high school teacher used to say that you can't have half of a molecule, so it doesn't make sense to have fractional coefficients. But this is a flawed argument for a couple reasons. First, you could just as easily claim that the coefficients represent moles of a substance as molecules, and it's perfectly fine to have half a mole. Secondly, it's impossible to tell the exact reaction mechanism simply from the chemical equation anyway.

Answer 3

Yes. The coefficients indicate just the number of moles.
For convenience they are usually not used but some survived if they involved numbers like 1/2, 2/3 or 3/2.

Answer 4

yes. Coefficients are simple measuring numbers. Just like you can use half a cup of sugar to make cookies, you can use half a mole to make whatever reaction you are performing.

The school system like to use whole numbers because it simplifies things.

Answer 5

yes but you can also mutiply the whole chemical equation, just like doing LCM

Answer 6

yes and fractions 2, but normally we want our math to be easy and use whole numbers

Answer 7

yes