When balancing the following equation, what is the coefficient for potassium chloride, KCl?
AlCl3 + K3PO4 à AlPO4 + KCl
The coefficient for potassium chloride, KCl, is 3.
To balance the chemical equation AlCl3 + K3PO4 -> AlPO4 + KCl, we need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
Let's start by counting the number of atoms for each element:
- Aluminum (Al): There is 1 Al atom on each side of the equation, so it is already balanced.
- Chlorine (Cl): There are 3 Cl atoms on the left side and 1 Cl atom on the right side. To balance the Cl atoms, we need to add a coefficient of 3 in front of KCl:
AlCl3 + K3PO4 -> AlPO4 + 3KCl
- Potassium (K): There are 3 K atoms on the right side, but only 1 K atom on the left side. To balance the K atoms, we need to add a coefficient of 3 in front of K3PO4:
AlCl3 + 3K3PO4 -> AlPO4 + 3KCl
- Phosphorus (P) and Oxygen (O): There is 1 P atom and 4 O atoms on each side, so they are already balanced.
Now the equation is balanced with the coefficient for KCl being 3. The balanced equation is:
AlCl3 + 3K3PO4 -> AlPO4 + 3KCl