Balance the equation:
SO2 + NO2 → SO3 + NO
im confused, isnt this already balanced since both sides have equal number of atoms
It looks balanced to me.
To balance the given chemical equation, you need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. In this case, the equation is not balanced because the number of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) atoms are unequal.
Here's how you can balance the equation step-by-step:
Step 1: Count the number of atoms for each element on both sides of the equation:
On the left side of the equation:
Sulfur (S): 1
Nitrogen (N): 3
Oxygen (O): 4
On the right side of the equation:
Sulfur (S): 1
Nitrogen (N): 1
Oxygen (O): 4
Step 2: Start by balancing the elements that appear in the fewest compounds. In this case, let's start with sulfur (S).
On the left side, there is 1 sulfur atom, and on the right side, there is also 1 sulfur atom. So, the sulfur atoms are already balanced.
Step 3: Next, balance the nitrogen (N) atoms.
On the left side, there are 3 nitrogen atoms, while on the right side, there is only 1 nitrogen atom. To balance the nitrogen, place a coefficient of 3 in front of NO:
SO2 + 3NO2 → SO3 + NO
Step 4: Lastly, check the balance of oxygen (O) atoms.
On the left side, there are 4 oxygen atoms (2 from SO2 and 2 from NO2). On the right side, there are also 4 oxygen atoms (3 from SO3 and 1 from NO). Therefore, the oxygen atoms are already balanced.
Final balanced equation:
SO2 + 3NO2 → SO3 + NO
Each side of the equation now has an equal number of atoms for each element, so the equation is balanced.