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)
Show that the balanced equation obeys the law of conversation of mass
Try googling it!
What do you mean you don't understand why it isn't balanced? You have 2 C on the left and 1 on the right so it isn't balanced. Here it is balanced.
C2H5OH(l) + 3O2(g) >>>>> 2CO2(g) + 3H20(g)
First balance C's, then H's, then O's using coefficients so you have equal numbers of each element on the sides of the equation.
So first you would match up the C's
C2H5OH + O2 -> 2CO2 + H2O
then do the H's (six on left so need 6 on right)
C2H5OH + O2 -> 2CO2 + 3H2O
then the O's
C2H5OH + 3O2 -> 2CO2 + 3H2O
To balance the chemical equation C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >>>>> CO2(g) + H2O(g), we need to make sure that the number of atoms of each type is the same on both sides of the equation. This balancing process ensures that the equation obeys the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction.
Let's go step by step to balance this equation:
1. Start with the carbon (C) atoms on both sides of the equation. There are 2 carbon atoms in C2H5OH and only 1 carbon atom in CO2. To balance the carbon atoms, we need to put a coefficient of 2 in front of CO2:
C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >>>>> 2CO2(g) + H2O(g)
2. Next, let's balance the hydrogen (H) atoms. There are 6 hydrogen atoms in C2H5OH and only 2 hydrogen atoms in H2O. To balance the hydrogen atoms, we need to put a coefficient of 3 in front of H2O:
C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) >>>>> 2CO2(g) + 3H2O(g)
3. Now, let's balance the oxygen (O) atoms. There are 2 oxygen atoms in C2H5OH and 2 oxygen atoms in CO2. However, on the right side of the equation, we have 6 oxygen atoms from the 3H2O molecules. So, to balance the oxygen atoms, we can put a coefficient of 3/2 (or 1.5) in front of O2:
C2H5OH(l) + 1.5O2(g) >>>>> 2CO2(g) + 3H2O(g)
4. Finally, it's a good practice to convert the coefficients to whole numbers, if possible. To do this, we can multiply the entire equation by 2:
2C2H5OH(l) + 3O2(g) >>>>> 4CO2(g) + 6H2O(g)
Now, the equation is balanced, and it obeys the law of conservation of mass because the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
To verify that the equation is balanced and obeys the law of conservation of mass, you can count the number of atoms of each element on both sides. You will find that the number of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms is the same on both sides of the equation.