This chemical reaction is balanced. True or False?
2CO2 + H20 → 1C2H2 + 3O2
False.
False. The chemical reaction is not balanced.
To balance the equation, we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
In the given reaction, there are 2 carbon (C) atoms on the left side and only 1 carbon (C) atom on the right side. Therefore, we need to balance the carbon atoms first.
Let's balance the carbon atoms:
2CO2 + H2O → C2H2 + 3O2
Now, there are 2 carbon (C) atoms on both sides. Next, let's balance the hydrogen (H) atoms:
2CO2 + 2H2O → C2H2 + 3O2
Now, the hydrogen (H) atoms are balanced. Finally, let's balance the oxygen (O) atoms:
2CO2 + 2H2O → C2H2 + 5O2
Now, the equation is balanced with 2 carbon (C), 4 hydrogen (H), and 10 oxygen (O) atoms on both sides.
To determine if a chemical reaction is balanced, we need to check if the number of atoms on each side of the reaction equation is the same. Let's break down the given reaction:
Reactants: 2CO2 + H2O
Products: 1C2H2 + 3O2
Now let's count the number of atoms for each element on both sides:
Reactants:
- Carbon (C): 2 × 1 = 2
- Oxygen (O): 2 × 2 + 1 = 5
- Hydrogen (H): 2 × 2 = 4
Products:
- Carbon (C): 1 × 2 = 2
- Oxygen (O): 2 × 2 + 3 = 7
- Hydrogen (H): 2
Comparing the counts, we can see that the number of atoms of each element is not the same on both sides of the reaction equation. Therefore, the given chemical reaction is not balanced.