When balancing the following equation, what is the coefficient for potassium chloride, KCl?
AlCl3 + K3PO4 à AlPO4 + KCl
To balance the given equation:
AlCl3 + K3PO4 à AlPO4 + KCl
Start by counting the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.
On the left side, we have:
1 Al, 3 Cl, 3 K, 1 P, and 4 O
On the right side, we have:
1 Al, 1 P, 5 O, and 1 Cl
To balance the chloride (Cl) atoms, we need to add a coefficient of 3 in front of KCl.
The balanced equation becomes:
AlCl3 + K3PO4 à AlPO4 + 3KCl
To balance the equation AlCl3 + K3PO4 -> AlPO4 + KCl, you need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
Here's how you can balance the equation step by step:
1. Begin by counting the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation:
- On the left side, you have 3 chlorine (Cl) atoms in AlCl3 and 3 potassium (K) atoms in K3PO4.
- On the right side, you have 1 chlorine (Cl) atom in KCl.
2. Balancing the chlorine atoms:
- Since there are 3 chlorine atoms on the left side and only 1 on the right side, you need to balance them by adding a coefficient in front of KCl.
3. To balance the chlorine atoms, you should add a coefficient of 3 in front of KCl:
AlCl3 + K3PO4 -> AlPO4 + 3KCl
Now, the equation is balanced with 3 chlorine atoms on both sides. The coefficient for potassium chloride (KCl) is 3.