Final answer:
To balance the chemical equation C2H5OH + O2 = CO2 + H2O, the balanced equation is C2H5OH + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 3H2O, ensuring the number of atoms for each element is equivalent on both sides of the equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked how to balance the chemical equation C2H5OH + O2 = CO2 + H2O. Balancing a chemical equation ensures that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both the reactant and product sides of the equation, complying with the Law of Conservation of Mass. To balance the equation, you need to make sure the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides.
For the balanced equation, it should look like this:
C2H5OH + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 3H2O
Here, both the carbon (C) and the hydrogen (H) atoms are now balanced, and the oxygen (O) atoms are balanced as well. On the reactant side, there are 2 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms, and 7 (3*2 from O2 and 1 from C2H5OH) oxygen atoms. On the product side, we now have 2 carbon atoms from 2 molecules of CO2, 6 hydrogen atoms from 3 molecules of H2O, and 7 oxygen atoms (4 from 2CO2 and 3 from 3H2O).