Write a balanced equation
Solid phosphorus (P) combusts with oxygen gas to form solid tetraphosphorus heptaoxide.
2P4 + 7O2 ==> 2P4O7
To write a balanced equation, we need to ensure that the number and type of atoms are the same on both sides of the equation.
Let's break down the given statement:
Solid phosphorus (P) combusts with oxygen gas (O₂) to form solid tetraphosphorus heptaoxide (P₄O₇).
The equation can be written as:
P + O₂ → P₄O₇
Now, let's balance the equation by making sure the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides.
Phosphorus (P) appears once on the left side and four times on the right side. To equalize the atoms of phosphorus, we can place a coefficient of 4 in front of "P":
4P + O₂ → P₄O₇
Now we need to balance the oxygen atoms. Oxygen (O) appears twice on the left side and seven times on the right side. To balance the oxygen atoms, we can place a coefficient of 7/2 (or 3.5) in front of "O₂":
4P + 7/2 O₂ → P₄O₇
However, it's not ideal to have fractional coefficients in a chemical equation, so we can multiply the equation by 2 to eliminate the fractional coefficient:
8P + 7O₂ → 2P₄O₇
Now the equation is balanced, with eight phosphorus (P) atoms, 14 oxygen (O₂) molecules, and two tetraphosphorus heptaoxide (P₄O₇) molecules on both sides of the equation.