Which of the following is a correctly balanced equation?
a.
2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
b.
2Cu + 2O2 → 2CuO
c.
Cu + O2 → 2CuO
d.
4Cu + O2 → 2CuO
which is the only one with the same number of atoms of Cu and O on both sides?
Note that they all have 2 Cu and 2 O on the right.
To determine which of the equations is correctly balanced, we need to ensure that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the equation.
a. 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
In this equation, there are 2 copper (Cu) atoms and 2 oxygen (O) atoms on both sides of the equation. So it is balanced.
b. 2Cu + 2O2 → 2CuO
In this equation, there are 2 copper (Cu) atoms on the left side, but only 1 copper (Cu) atom on the right side. So it is not balanced.
c. Cu + O2 → 2CuO
In this equation, there is 1 copper (Cu) atom on the left side, but 2 copper (Cu) atoms on the right side. So it is not balanced.
d. 4Cu + O2 → 2CuO
In this equation, there are 4 copper (Cu) atoms on the left side, and 2 copper (Cu) atoms on the right side. So it is not balanced.
Therefore, the correctly balanced equation is a. 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO.