i have to do balancing equation problems and i cant figure out this problem, help? i think you have to put numbers infront but i don't get it.
_H2+_O2<==>_H2O
(those 2's are subscripts)
Absolutely! Balancing chemical equations involves ensuring that there is an equal number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. To do this, we can adjust the coefficients (numbers in front of the chemical formulas).
In the given equation, we want to balance the equation:
_H2 + _O2 <=> _H2O
First, let's start with the hydrogen (H) atoms. On the left side, there are two hydrogen atoms (H2). On the right side, there are also two hydrogen atoms (H2O). So, the hydrogen atoms are already balanced.
Next, let's examine the oxygen (O) atoms. On the left side, there are two oxygen atoms (O2). However, on the right side, there is only one oxygen atom (H2O).
To balance the equation, we need to have the same number of oxygen atoms on both sides. Since there are two oxygen atoms on the left and only one on the right, we'll need to add a coefficient in front of the water molecule (H2O) to make the number equal.
Let's update the equation to:
_H2 + _O2 <=> 2_H2O
Now, we have two oxygen atoms on both sides, but we can see that there are four hydrogen atoms on the right side (2_H2O) and only two hydrogen atoms on the left side (H2). To balance the hydrogen atoms, we need to add a coefficient in front of the hydrogen molecule (H2) on the left side.
The final balanced equation is:
2_H2 + _O2 <=> 2_H2O
By adjusting the coefficients, we ensure that the number of each type of atom is equal on both sides of the equation.