Balance
C3H6 + O2 > H2O + CO2
obviously, each C3H6 will produce 3CO2
so, start out with that:
C3H6 + O2 > H2O + 3CO2
Now, each C3H6 will generate 3H2, so we have
C3H6 + O2 > 3H2O + 3CO2
Now we have 3C and 6H on each side, but 9O on the right. Since O comes only in pairs on the left, we need to double things up:
2C3H6 + ?O2 > 6H2O + 6CO2
Now we are ready to finish up. O is independent of the other stuff on the left, so as long as the C and H balance, we can make O do so as well:
2C3H6 + 9O2 > 6H2O + 6CO2
The given chemical equation represents the combustion of a hydrocarbon, which is represented by the formula C3H6. In the reaction, C3H6 reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
To balance this chemical equation, we need to ensure that there is an equal number of atoms on both sides of the equation. Here's how you can balance it step by step:
1. Start with the carbon atoms. In this equation, there are 3 carbon atoms on the left side and 1 carbon atom on the right side. To balance the carbon atoms, place a coefficient of 3 in front of CO2, so the equation becomes:
C3H6 + O2 → 3CO2 + H2O
2. Move on to balancing the hydrogen atoms. Initially, there are 6 hydrogen atoms on the left side and 2 hydrogen atoms on the right side. To balance them, place a coefficient of 3 in front of H2O:
C3H6 + O2 → 3CO2 + 3H2O
3. Finally, balance the oxygen atoms. On the left side, there are a total of 2 oxygen atoms from O2, and on the right side, there are 3CO2, with a total of 6 oxygen atoms, and 3H2O, with a total of 6 oxygen atoms. To balance the oxygen atoms, we need to adjust the coefficient of O2:
C3H6 + 9/2O2 → 3CO2 + 3H2O
Let's simplify the equation by multiplying all coefficients by 2 to remove the fraction:
2C3H6 + 9O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O
Now, the chemical equation is balanced. There are 2 molecules of C3H6 reacting with 9 molecules of O2 to produce 6 molecules of CO2 and 6 molecules of H2O.
The given chemical equation is:
C3H6 + O2 → H2O + CO2
This equation represents the combustion reaction of propane (C3H6), which is a hydrocarbon. In this reaction, propane reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Step-by-step, let's balance the equation:
1. Count the number of carbon atoms on both sides of the equation. There are 3 carbon atoms on the left side (C3H6) and 1 carbon atom on the right side (CO2). To balance the carbons, we need to put a coefficient of 3 in front of the carbon dioxide:
C3H6 + O2 → H2O + 3CO2
2. Next, let's balance the hydrogen atoms. There are 6 hydrogen atoms on the left side (C3H6) and 2 hydrogen atoms in water (H2O). To balance the hydrogens, we put a coefficient of 3 in front of water:
C3H6 + O2 → 3H2O + 3CO2
3. Finally, let's balance the oxygen atoms. There are 2 oxygen atoms in oxygen gas (O2), 6 oxygen atoms in carbon dioxide (3CO2), and 6 oxygen atoms in water (3H2O). The total number of oxygen atoms on the right side is 6+6=12. To balance the oxygens, we need to have 12 oxygen atoms on the left side as well. Since there are already 2 oxygen atoms in O2, we need to put a coefficient of 5/2 in front of O2 (remember, we can use fractions as coefficients):
C3H6 + 5/2O2 → 3H2O + 3CO2
Now the equation is balanced with 3 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms, and 12 oxygen atoms on both sides.
The balanced equation is:
C3H6 + 5/2O2 → 3H2O + 3CO2