what are the steps on how to balance Al + O2 -----> Al2O3
Al + O2 -----> Al2O3
lcm of 2 and 3 is 6 which is 2 O3
x Al + y O2 = 2 Al2O3
x = 4
y = 3
4 Al + 3 O2 = 2 Al2O3
To balance the chemical equation Al + O2 -> Al2O3, you need to make sure that the number of atoms on both sides of the equation is equal. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to balance it:
1. Start by counting the number of atoms for each element on both sides of the equation. In this case, we have 1 aluminum (Al) atom on the left side and 2 on the right side. For oxygen (O), we have 2 atoms on the left side (O2) and 3 on the right side (Al2O3).
Al: Left Side = 1 Right Side = 2
O: Left Side = 2 Right Side = 3
2. Balance the atoms that appear in the least numbers first. In this case, it's aluminum. Since we have 1 Al on the left side and 2 Al on the right side, multiply the Al on the left side by 2 to make it equal to the number on the right side.
Al: Left Side = 2 Right Side = 2
O: Left Side = 2 Right Side = 3
3. Now, let's look at oxygen. We have 2 O atoms on the left side and 3 O atoms on the right side. To balance the O atoms, we need to multiply O2 on the left side by 1.5 to make it equal to 3 O atoms on the right side.
Al: Left Side = 2 Right Side = 2
O: Left Side = 3 Right Side = 3
4. The equation is now balanced, with 2 Al atoms and 3 O atoms on both sides of the equation.
Final Balanced Equation: 2Al + 1.5O2 -> Al2O3
Note: When balancing equations, it is not common to have fractional coefficients like 1.5. In this case, you can multiply the entire equation by 2 to eliminate the decimal point, resulting in the balanced equation 4Al + 3O2 -> 2Al2O3.