Solid phosphorus trichloride is produced by reacting solid phosphorus and chlorine gas.
2P + 3Cl2 -----> 2PCl3
is that right?
yes
Thanks. Can you explain to me when I have to add charges to my the thing? and when I can't?
Atoms are neutral and carry no charge. Ions have a charge.
And I don't know if your professor is using P4 for phosphorus or not. If so, your equation needs adjusting.
Yes, that chemical equation is balanced and represents the reaction of solid phosphorus (P) with chlorine gas (Cl2) to produce solid phosphorus trichloride (PCl3).
To balance the chemical equation, you need to ensure that there is an equal number of atoms on each side of the equation. Here's how you can balance the equation step by step:
1. Start by counting the number of atoms for each element on both sides of the equation. On the left side, there are 2 phosphorus atoms (2P) and 6 chlorine atoms (3Cl2). On the right side, there are 2 phosphorus atoms (2P) and 6 chlorine atoms (2PCl3).
2. To balance the number of phosphorus atoms, you can put a coefficient of 2 in front of PCl3 on the right side, so it becomes 2PCl3.
3. By doing this, you now have 6 chlorine atoms on the right side. To balance the number of chlorine atoms, you need to put a coefficient of 3/2 in front of Cl2 on the left side, so it becomes (3/2)Cl2.
4. The chemical equation after balancing would then be: 2P + (3/2)Cl2 ----> 2PCl3