Question

Provide the coefficients (lowest set of whole numbers) to balance the combustion reaction below.

2 C_4H_10 + Y O_2 ⟶⟶ 8 CO_2 + Z H_2O

A. Y = 13, Z = 20
B. Y = 26, Z = 20
C. Y = 19, Z = 15
D. Y = 13, Z = 10

Answer 1

To balance the combustion reaction 2 C4H10 + Y O2 ⟶⟶ 8 CO2 + Z H2O, Y must be 13 and Z must be 8.

Step-by-step explanation:

To balance the combustion reaction 2 C4H10 + Y O2 ⟶⟶ 8 CO2 + Z H2O, we need to determine the values for Y and Z. First, let's balance the carbon atoms by multiplying C4H10 by 2 to get 8 carbon atoms on both sides of the equation.

The balanced equation becomes: 4 C4H10 + Y O2 ⟶⟶ 16 CO2 + Z H2O. Next, let's balance the hydrogen atoms by multiplying H2O by 8 to get 16 hydrogen atoms on both sides. The final balanced equation is: 4 C4H10 + Y O2 ⟶⟶ 16 CO2 + 8 H2O. Therefore, Y = 13 and Z = 8.