The scientific name for six carbon dioxide molecules is 6CO2. Carbon dioxide’s chemical name is CO2. A number in front of a chemical formula in a chemical equation for a reaction indicates how many molecules of the relevant compound are involved in the reaction.
The balanced equation for photosynthesis in plants, which is given by 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2, is one potential chemical equation in which the symbol “6CO2” appears. According to this equation, one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen are created when six carbon dioxide molecules and six water molecules interact.
