When the equation Fe + O2→Fe2O3 is balanced, the coefficient for O2 is:
A. 4
B. 3
C. 1
D. 2
D?
4Fe + 3O2→ 2Fe2O3
OK GOT IT. IS B?
To balance the equation Fe + O2 -> Fe2O3, you need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides of the equation.
Let's start by counting the number of atoms for each element on both sides of the equation:
On the left side:
Fe: 1
O: 2
On the right side:
Fe: 2
O: 3
Since there are a different number of oxygen atoms on each side, we need to balance it by adjusting the coefficient in front of O2.
To do this, you can try different coefficients until the number of oxygen atoms is equal on both sides.
Let's go through each option:
A. 4 O2 would give us 4 × 2 = 8 O atoms
B. 3 O2 would give us 3 × 2 = 6 O atoms
C. 1 O2 would give us 1 × 2 = 2 O atoms
D. 2 O2 would give us 2 × 2 = 4 O atoms
By comparing the number of oxygen atoms on both sides, we can see that option D with 2 O2 gives us an equal number of oxygen atoms (4) on both sides of the equation.
Therefore, the correct coefficient for O2 is 2.