Final answer:
The subject question pertains to balancing chemical equations and writing equilibrium constant expressions. Chemical equations need to be balanced to ensure an equal number of atoms for each element on both sides, and the equilibrium constant is derived from the concentration of the reactants and products, raised to their coefficients.
Step-by-step explanation:
When balancing chemical equations, it is crucial to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is equal on both the reactant and product sides. For instance:
- 2 Na(s) + Cl2(g) → 2 NaCl(s): This equation is balanced as it has two sodium atoms and two chlorine atoms on each side.
- CH4(g) + 2 O2(g) → CO2(g) + 2 H2O(l): This equation is balanced with one carbon atom, four hydrogen atoms, and four oxygen atoms on both sides.
- AgNO3(aq) + 2 KCl(aq) → AgCl(s) + KNO3(aq): This reaction is balanced, with one silver atom, one nitrogen atom, three oxygen atoms, two potassium atoms, and two chlorine atoms on both sides.
To write an expression for the equilibrium constant (K), one would follow this formula: the product of the concentrations of the products, each raised to the power of its coefficient, divided by the product of the concentrations of the reactants, each raised to the power of its coefficient.
For the decomposition of potassium chlorate (KClO3), we would write the balanced chemical reaction:
2 KClO3(s) → 2 KCl(s) + 3 O2(g)
This equation shows the breakdown of potassium chlorate into potassium chloride and oxygen gas.