hi
I'm having a serious problem with balancing chemical equations , can someone explain to me how we can do them
also
if i had a word equation hhow can i convert it into a symbolic equation and balance it
e.g
can someone show me how we do this equation:
KOH3+HNO3 ---}( what's the product ? how can we balance it ?)
double post. Answered below.
Hi!
Balancing chemical equations can indeed be challenging, but I'll do my best to explain the process to you.
To balance a chemical equation, you need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation is the same. Here's a step-by-step explanation:
1. Write the skeleton equation: Start by writing down the unbalanced equation. In your example, it is KOH3 + HNO3 → ?.
2. Count the number of atoms for each element: Count the number of atoms of each element on both the reactant and product sides. For example, on the reactant side, we have 1 potassium (K), 1 oxygen (O), 3 hydrogen (H), 1 nitrogen (N), and 3 oxygen (O). On the product side, we have the same elements but with unknown coefficients.
3. Balance the most complex molecule: Begin balancing with the most complex molecule, as it usually contains the most number of atoms. In this case, it is HNO3.
Start by balancing the nitrogen (N) atoms. Since there is only 1 nitrogen atom on the reactant side and none on the product side, we need to balance it by placing a coefficient of 1 in front of HNO3 on the product side.
Now, count the number of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms. On the reactant side, we have 3 hydrogen and 3 oxygen atoms, while on the product side, we have 1 hydrogen and 3 oxygen atoms. To balance hydrogen, place a coefficient of 3 in front of HNO3. To balance oxygen, place a coefficient of 3 in front of HNO3 as well.
The equation will now look like this: KOH3 + 3 HNO3 → ?.
4. Balance the remaining elements: Now that nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen are balanced, we can focus on balancing the remaining elements, which are potassium (K) and oxygen.
On the reactant side, we have 1 potassium atom, while on the product side, there is none. To balance potassium, place a coefficient of 1 in front of KOH3 on the product side.
Finally, let's balance oxygen. On the reactant side, we have 9 oxygen atoms (3 from KOH3 and 6 from HNO3), while on the product side, we have 9 oxygen atoms from 3O3. Therefore, we don't need to change the coefficients.
The balanced equation is: KOH3 + 3 HNO3 → H3O3 + KNO3.
In this balanced equation, the products are H3O3 (a hydrate) and KNO3.
I hope that helps! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.