Complete and balance the following equation
S(s)+HNO3(aq)--->H2SO3(aq)+N2O(g)
An explanation would be excellent, thanks in advance.
To complete and balance the given chemical equation, we need to ensure that there is an equal number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.
Given: S(s) + HNO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g)
First, let's examine each element present in the equation and balance them one by one:
1. Sulfur (S) appears only on the left side of the equation. To balance it, we need to add a coefficient of 1 in front of H2SO3(aq).
S(s) + HNO3(aq) ---> 1H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g)
2. Hydrogen (H) is balanced as it appears on both sides of the equation with a coefficient of 1 on each side.
S(s) + HNO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g)
3. Nitrogen (N) appears only on the right side of the equation. To balance it, we need to add a coefficient of 2 in front of N2O(g).
S(s) + HNO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + 2N2O(g)
4. Oxygen (O) is unbalanced. On the reactant side, there are 3 oxygen atoms from HNO3, and on the product side, there are 4 oxygen atoms from H2SO3 and N2O combined.
To balance the oxygen atoms, we can add a coefficient of 2 in front of HNO3 and a coefficient of 2 in front of H2SO3, as this will give us:
S(s) + 2HNO3(aq) ---> 2H2SO3(aq) + 2N2O(g)
Now, all the elements are balanced, and the equation is complete: S(s) + 2HNO3(aq) ---> 2H2SO3(aq) + 2N2O(g)
To complete and balance the chemical equation S(s) + HNO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g), we need to make sure that there is an equal number of atoms on both sides of the equation.
Let's break down each compound and balance them step by step:
1. Start by balancing the sulfur (S) atoms. On the left side of the equation, there is one atom of sulfur, so we need one atom of sulfur on the right side. Thus, we write S(s) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g).
2. Now, let's balance the hydrogen (H) atoms. On the left side, we have two hydrogen atoms from H2SO3, so we need two hydrogen atoms on the right side. We update the equation to S(s) + H2SO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g).
3. Next, balance the nitrogen (N) atoms. On the left side, we have one nitrogen atom from HNO3, so we need one nitrogen atom on the right side. Thus, we modify the equation to: S(s) + H2SO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g).
4. Lastly, balance the oxygen (O) atoms. On the left side, there are three oxygen atoms from HNO3 and H2SO3 combined. On the right side, there are three oxygen atoms from H2SO3 and N2O combined, so the equation is already balanced when it comes to oxygen.
The final balanced equation is:
S(s) + 2HNO3(aq) ---> H2SO3(aq) + N2O(g)
This equation indicates that when solid sulfur (S) reacts with nitric acid (HNO3), it produces sulfurous acid (H2SO3) and nitrous oxide gas (N2O).