Question

Using electronic equations, select the coefficients in the equation
Cu + HNO3→ Cu(NO3)2 + NO2 + H2O.
Specify the oxidizing and reducing agent.

Answer 1

Answer:

Explanation:

Cu + HNO3 = Cu(NO3)2 + NO + H2O

Since the exam I have looked up the solution on-line and discovered that the answer is:

3Cu+ 8HNO3----> 3Cu(NO3)2 + 2NO +4H2O

My question is how would you go about working this out? I would never have worked this out and if I got a question like this in an exam I could spend ages on it and never figure it out. I have never struggled with balancing equations before but this one was so complex and hard I have no idea how you could work this out.

Obviously there must be some method, so could you tell me how you would go about balancing it. Or am I just being really slow and would I be expected to be able to look at that and solve it?

I guess in retrospect I could have looked at the H20 and the HNO3 and realised that the number before the HNO3 must be double the number before the H20 then done trail and error but that would still be time consuming.

Thanks for your help