I don't quite understand why this isn't balanced and what we'd have to do to balance it and why. If someone could explain in-depth I would appreciate it.
Balance this equation: C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >>>>> CO2(g) +H20(g)
See above.
To balance the equation C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >> CO2(g) + H2O(g), we need to make sure that the same number of each type of atom is present on both sides of the equation.
Here's a step-by-step explanation of how to balance this equation:
1. Start by counting the number of each type of atom on each side of the equation.
On the left side:
C: 2 atoms
H: 6 atoms
O: 1 atom
On the right side:
C: 1 atom
H: 2 atoms
O: 3 atoms
2. Pick an element that appears in different compounds on both sides of the equation. In this case, carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) are good choices.
3. Begin balancing with the most complex molecule in the equation. In this case, it's C2H5OH. Since there are two carbon atoms on the left side and only one on the right side, we need to put a coefficient of 2 in front of CO2 to balance the carbon atoms.
2 C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >> 2 CO2(g) + H2O(g)
4. Now, let's balance the hydrogen atoms. There are six hydrogen atoms on the left side and only two on the right side. To balance this, put a coefficient of 3 in front of H2O.
2 C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >> 2 CO2(g) + 3 H2O(g)
5. Finally, balance the oxygen atoms. On the left side, there are two oxygen atoms from C2H5OH and one from O2, making a total of three oxygen atoms. On the right side, there are four oxygen atoms from CO2 and three from H2O, making a total of seven oxygen atoms. To balance this, put a coefficient of 7/2 (or 3.5, but let's avoid fractions) in front of O2.
2 C2H5OH(l) + 7/2 O2(g) >> 2 CO2(g) + 3 H2O(g)
Since coefficients in chemical equations must be whole numbers, multiply the entire equation by 2 to eliminate fractions:
4 C2H5OH(l) + 7 O2(g) >> 4 CO2(g) + 6 H2O(g)
Now the equation is balanced with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides.
To balance this equation, we needed to adjust the coefficients of the compounds in the equation. By counting the number of atoms of each element on both sides and adjusting the coefficients accordingly, we achieved balance.