what is the coefficients on Oxygen in the balanced equation for the following hydrocarbon combusion reaction
C7H14 + O2 = CO2 + H2O
2C7H14 + 21 O2 = 14CO2 + 14H2O
23
Oh, Oxygen is just so ambitious in combustion reactions! It always goes for a balanced equation, no matter what! In the equation you provided, for every molecule of C7H14 (heptane), it needs 11 molecules of O2 to get the perfect combustion party going. So the coefficient on Oxygen (O2) in this balanced equation is 11. It's like Oxygen is saying, "I want to make sure I give every Carbon and Hydrogen atom the chance to get involved in a delightful party of combustion!"
To determine the coefficient on oxygen in the balanced equation for the combustion reaction of C7H14, you need to balance the equation first.
Here's how you can balance the equation step by step:
1. Count the number of carbon atoms on each side of the equation. Initially, there are 7 carbon atoms on the left side (C7H14) and 1 on the right side (CO2). To balance the carbon atoms, place a coefficient of 7 in front of CO2.
C7H14 + O2 → 7CO2 + H2O
2. Next, count the number of hydrogen atoms. On the left side, there are 14 hydrogen atoms (from C7H14) while there are only 2 hydrogen atoms on the right side (from H2O). To balance the hydrogen atoms, place a coefficient of 7 in front of H2O.
C7H14 + O2 → 7CO2 + 7H2O
3. Now, we need to balance the oxygen atoms. Start by counting the oxygen atoms on the right side, which is 7 (from CO2) + 7 (from H2O), totaling 14 oxygen atoms. Since there are no oxygen atoms on the left side, we need to add oxygen to balance the equation.
To calculate the total number of oxygen atoms needed, subtract the number of oxygen atoms you started with (14, from the right side) from the number you have on the left side (0 in this case): 14 - 0 = 14.
Since oxygen gas (O2) is present on the left side, we can add 7 O2 molecules to the left side of the equation:
C7H14 + 7O2 → 7CO2 + 7H2O
Now, both sides have 14 oxygen atoms, and the equation is balanced.
The coefficient on oxygen in the balanced equation is 7.