Final answer:
Balancing the chemical equation PCl₅(s) + H₂O (l) → POCl₃(l) + HCl (aq) involves ensuring the same number of each type of atom appears on both sides of the equation, resulting in the balanced form PCl₅ + 4 H₂O → POCl₃ + 5 HCl.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is Chemistry, specifically regarding the balancing of chemical equations. To balance the chemical equation PCl₅(s) + H₂O (l) → POCl₃(l) + HCl (aq), you need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
After verifying the coefficient for each compound, the balanced equation is PCl₅ + 4 H₂O → POCl₃ + 5 HCl. It is important to check and balance all elements in the equation, including phosphorus, chlorine, hydrogen, and oxygen, to comply with the Law of Conservation of Mass.