Hydrofluoric acid is used to etch grooves in glass because it reacts with the silica (sio2(s)) in glass. the products of the reactions are aqueous silicon tetrafluoride and water. what is the coefficient of silica in the balanced equation for the reaction? (balance the equation with the smallest possible whole number coefficients.)

Answer is: coefficient is one.
Chemical reaction: SiO₂ + 4HF → SiF₄ + 2H₂O.
Reaction is balanced when there are equal numbers of elements in both side of the chemical reaction.
HF - hydrofluoric acid, highly corrosive, dissolves many materials.
SiF₄ - silicon tetrafluoride.

For cyclohexane compounds drawn in a chair conformation:   -axial bonds are vertical  -equatorial bonds are parallel to two bonds within the ring.  thus, as i assume the chair conformation is drawn:   -the x group is in an axial position, as are the five other vertical bonds.  -three axial bonds are on the top face of the ring  -the other three axial bonds are on the bottom face  the position of the second substituent on each ring carbon is equatorial.  gauche groups must be on an adjacent carbon such as carbon 6 and carbon 2, and also gauche groups are rotated by 60 degrees relative to each other.  drawing the newman projections for c1–c2 and c1–c6 aids in visualizing the groups that are gauche to the y group on c1.  click this link and watch some academic videos that may you more understand the topic