write balance chemical equation for gaseous hydrogen gas to form gaseous methane ch4 and liquid water.
I will be happy to crtique your thinking and efforts.
To balance the chemical equation for the reaction of gaseous hydrogen gas (H2) combining with gaseous methane (CH4) to form liquid water (H2O), here are the steps you can follow:
Step 1: Write the unbalanced equation for the given reaction:
H2 + CH4 → H2O
Step 2: Count the number of atoms in each reactant and product. This will help you determine the coefficients needed to balance the equation.
On the left side (reactants), we have:
- 2 hydrogen atoms in H2
- 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms in CH4
On the right side (products), we have:
- 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom in H2O
- 1 carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms in CH4
Step 3: Balance the equation by adjusting the coefficients in front of each chemical species.
To balance the hydrogen (H) atoms:
- There are 2 hydrogen atoms in H2 on the left side, and 2 hydrogen atoms in H2O on the right side. They are already balanced.
- There are 4 hydrogen atoms in CH4 on the left side, so we need 4 hydrogen atoms in the products as well. This can be achieved by multiplying H2O by 2.
To balance the carbon (C) atom:
- There is 1 carbon atom in CH4 on the left side, and 1 carbon atom in CH4 on the right side. They are already balanced.
To balance the oxygen (O) atom:
- There are no oxygen atoms on the left side, and 1 oxygen atom in H2O on the right side. Therefore, we need to introduce an O atom on the left side. This can be achieved by multiplying H2 by 1/2.
Step 4: Write the balanced chemical equation:
1/2 H2 +CH4 → 2 H2O
This balanced equation shows that when 1/2 molecule of hydrogen gas combines with 1 molecule of methane, it produces 2 molecules of water.