Final answer:
The balanced chemical equation for the formation of aluminum oxide from aluminum and oxygen is 4Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3. This ensures the number of atoms for each element is equal on both sides of the equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
To correctly balance the chemical equation for the formation of aluminum oxide from aluminum and oxygen, we first write the unbalanced equation, which is simply the reactants and products next to each other:
Al + O2 → Al2O3
Next, we determine the coefficients that balance the equation. We need to balance the number of Al and O atoms on both sides. As the formula for aluminum oxide is Al2O3, the balanced chemical equation is:
4Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3
The coefficients 4, 3, and 2 are in order for aluminum, oxygen, and aluminum oxide, respectively. These coefficients ensure that we have eight aluminum atoms and six oxygen atoms on both sides of the equation.