Question

Which of the following reactions is balanced correctly?

A) C⁶H¹²O₆ + 3O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O.
B) CH⁴ + 4O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O.
C) C³H⁸ + 5O₂ → 3CO₂ + 4H₂O.
D) C + O₂ → 2CO₂.

Answer 1

Equation b (C2H4 + 2O2 → 2CO2 + 2H2O) is the balanced chemical equation among the given options.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which chemical equation is balanced, we need to count the atoms of each element on both sides of the equation. If the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides, the equation is balanced. Let's analyze the given equations:

• Equation a (2Hg + O2 → Hg2O2) is not balanced because there are 2 mercury atoms on the left but only 1 mercury in the compound on the right side.
• Equation b (C2H4 + 2O2 → 2CO2 + 2H2O) is balanced as it follows the required stoichiometry of 1:2:2:2 for C2H4, O2, CO2, and H2O respectively.
• Equation c (Mg(NO3)2 + 2Li → Mg + 2LiNO3) is balanced as it has the same number of Mg, Li, N, and O atoms on both sides.

Therefore, the reaction expressed by equation b is correctly balanced.