leslie incorrectly balances an equation as 2c4h10 + 12o2 → 8co2 + 10h2o. which coefficient should she…
leslie incorrectly balances an equation as 2c4h10 + 12o2 → 8co2 + 10h2o. which coefficient should she change? 2 8 10 12
Answer
Explanation:
Step1: Count carbon atoms
On left - hand side, with $2C_4H_{10}$, there are $2\times4 = 8$ carbon atoms. On right - hand side, with $8CO_2$, there are 8 carbon atoms.
Step2: Count hydrogen atoms
On left - hand side, with $2C_4H_{10}$, there are $2\times10=20$ hydrogen atoms. On right - hand side, with $10H_2O$, there are $10\times2 = 20$ hydrogen atoms.
Step3: Count oxygen atoms
On left - hand side, with $12O_2$, there are $12\times2=24$ oxygen atoms. On right - hand side, with $8CO_2$ (which has $8\times2 = 16$ oxygen atoms) and $10H_2O$ (which has 10 oxygen atoms), there are $16 + 10=26$ oxygen atoms. So the oxygen atoms are unbalanced and the coefficient of $O_2$ needs to be changed.
Answer:
12