Question about Biology with the table of elements and compound formulas??

Question

Like for the formula Ca(H2PO4)2
The numbers are all below the letters..
How would you break that apart??
Like Calcium = 2?
Hydrogen = 2?
I'm confused.

Answer 1

I can't draw subscripts, so just know that the 2 and 4 are subscripts.

In Ca(H2PO4)2, the compound is:

Ca 2+ and H2PO4 -

Ca has 2 positive charges and H2PO4 has a single negative charge, so you need 2 of the H2PO4 molecules to offset the 2 positive charges in the Ca ion (that is what the subscript 2 outside of the parentheses means: two H2PO4 molecules). In the H2PO4 molecule, there are 2 hydrogen atoms, 1 phosphorus atom and 4 oxygen atoms.

So, in Ca(H2PO4)2, there is one calcium atom, 4 hydrogen atoms, 2 phosphorus atoms, and 8 oxygen atoms.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The 2 at the end goes with everything inside the parentheses, not with the Ca.

1 Ca
4 H (H2 inside the parentheses times 2 for the 2 at the end)
2 P (one P in the parens times 2 for the 2 at the end)
8 O (O4 in the parens times 2 for the 2 at the end)

Total of 15 atoms per molecule.