Final answer:
To balance the equation C₆H₁₂O₆ → C₂H₅OH + CO₂, start by balancing the carbon and hydrogen atoms, then balance the oxygen atoms by adding a coefficient of 6 in front of the water molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
To balance the equation C₆H₁₂O₆ → C₂H₅OH + CO₂, you need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. In this case, we start by balancing the carbon and hydrogen atoms:
C₆H₁₂O₆ → 3C₂H₅OH + 3CO₂
This results in 12 oxygen atoms on the product side, but only 6 oxygen atoms on the reactant side. We can balance the oxygen atoms by adding a coefficient of 6 in front of the water molecule:
C₆H₁₂O₆ → 3C₂H₅OH + 3CO₂ + 6H₂O
The equation is now balanced, with the same number of each type of atom on both sides.