How to balance a chemical reaction equation?
Answers
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Balancing a chemical equation :
Balancing of a chemical equation means to equalise the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.
Consider the following steps for balancing the chemical equation :
For example, iron reacts with water (steam) to form iron(II, III) oxide and hydrogen.
Step-I : Write the chemical equation in the form of a word equation. Keep the reactants on the leſt hand side and the products on the right hand side. Separate them by an arrow ( → ) with head pointing from the reactants to products.
Iron + Steam → Iron (II, III) oxide + Hydrogen
Step-II : Write down the symbols and formulae of the various reactants and products which gives skeletal chemical equation.
Fe + H2O → Fe3O4 + H2
Step-III : Listing number of atoms of different elements.
Fe element :
In LHS - 1 element
In RHS - 3 elements
H element :
In LHS - 2 element
In RHS - 2 elements
O element :
In LHS - 1 element
In RHS - 4 elements
Step-IV : Select the compound with maximum number of atoms to start balancing. In that compound, balance the element with maximum number of atoms (e.g., oxygen in the given equation). It may be a reactant or a product.
Atom of oxygen :
1) initially -
In reactants -1 ( in H2O )
In product - 4 ( in Fe3O4 )
2) To balance :
In reactants - 1 × 4
In product - 4
Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + H2
Step-V : To balance the atoms of an element, put a whole number coefficient before the formula of the compound. If selection of the biggest formula appears inconvenient, balance the atoms of that element which occurs at minimum number of places on both sides of the equation. Atoms of the element which occur at maximum places are balanced at last.
To balance H-atoms on both sides :
Atom of Hydrogen :
1) initially -
In reactants - 8 ( in 4H2O )
In product - 2 ( in H2 )
2) To balance :
In reactants - 8
In product - 2×4
Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2
To balance Fe-atoms on both sides :
Atom of Iron :
1) initially -
In reactants - 1 ( in Fe )
In product - 3 ( in Fe3O4 )
2) To balance :
In reactants - 1×3
In product - 3
So, the equation would be
3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2
Step VI : For checking the correct balanced equation, we count atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.
Fe element :
In LHS - 3 element
In RHS - 3 elements
H element :
In LHS - 8 element
In RHS - 8 elements
O element :
In LHS - 4 element
In RHS - 4 elements
As the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation are equal, the equation is balanced.
3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) → Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g)
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