im having trouble balancing this. I tried it but everything just ends up being uneven
Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O + NH4SCN --> Ba(SCN)2 + H2O + NH3
Try:
1,2,1,10,2
thanks!
Balancing chemical equations can sometimes be challenging, but there are systematic steps you can follow to make it easier. Let's go through the process of balancing the equation together:
Step 1: Start by counting the number of atoms on each side of the equation.
On the left side of the equation:
- Ba: 1 (Ba(OH)2)
- O: 10 (Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O)
- H: 32 (Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O)
- N: 1 (NH4SCN)
- S: 1 (NH4SCN)
- C: 1 (NH4SCN)
On the right side of the equation:
- Ba: 1 (Ba(SCN)2)
- O: 1 (H2O)
- H: 4 (H2O)
- N: 1 (NH3)
- S: 1 (Ba(SCN)2)
- C: 1 (Ba(SCN)2)
As you can see, the number of atoms is not balanced between the two sides of the equation.
Step 2: Balance atoms one at a time.
Let's start with Ba. To balance the number of Ba atoms, place a coefficient of 1 in front of Ba(OH)2 on the left side of the equation:
1 Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O + NH4SCN -> Ba(SCN)2 + H2O + NH3
Now, the number of Ba atoms is balanced on both sides.
Step 3: Move on to the next element, O.
On the left side of the equation, there are 10 O atoms from the 8 H2O molecules. On the right side, there is only 1 O atom from the H2O molecule. To balance the O atoms, place a coefficient of 5 in front of H2O on the right side:
1 Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O + NH4SCN -> Ba(SCN)2 + 5 H2O + NH3
Now, the O atoms are balanced.
Step 4: Continue balancing the rest of the atoms.
Next, let's balance the H atoms. On the left side, there are 32 H atoms from the 8 H2O molecules. On the right side, there are only 4 H atoms from the NH3 molecule. To balance the H atoms, place a coefficient of 8 in front of NH3 on the right side:
1 Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O + NH4SCN -> Ba(SCN)2 + 5 H2O + 8 NH3
The H atoms are now balanced.
Step 5: Lastly, balance the remaining atoms, N, S, and C.
On the left side, there is 1 N atom from NH4SCN. On the right side, there are also 1 N atom from NH3 and 1 N atom from the Ba(SCN)2. Both sides are already balanced.
On the left side, there is 1 S atom from NH4SCN. On the right side, there is 1 S atom from Ba(SCN)2. Both sides are already balanced.
On the left side, there is 1 C atom from NH4SCN. On the right side, there is 1 C atom from Ba(SCN)2. Both sides are already balanced.
The balanced equation is:
Ba(OH)2 * 8H2O + NH4SCN -> Ba(SCN)2 + 5 H2O + 8 NH3
By following these steps, you can balance chemical equations systematically. Keep in mind that practice is key, and it's normal to encounter difficulties initially.