Final answer:
The word equation for the reaction is 'sulfur trioxide reacts with water to produce sulfuric acid.' The skeleton equation is expressed as SO3 + H2O → H2SO4. The balanced chemical equation, indicating physical states, is SO3(g) + H2O(l) → H2SO4(l).
Step-by-step explanation:
Chemical Equations: Word, Skeleton, and Balanced
When sulfur trioxide (SO3) reacts with water vapor to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4), the reaction can be represented in different forms. To write the word equation, we simply state the reactants and products in words. Therefore, the word equation is: sulfur trioxide reacts with water to produce sulfuric acid.
The skeleton equation shows the chemical formulas of the reactants and products without indicating their amounts: SO3 + H2O → H2SO4. Here, we just list each compound's correct chemical formula. To balance the equation, we ensure the number of atoms for each element is the same on both the reactant and product sides.
The balanced chemical equation for this reaction, with the states of each compound, is:
SO3(g) + H2O(l) → H2SO4(l). Notice that we include (g) for gas, (l) for liquid to indicate the physical states. This equation is already balanced with one molecule of sulfur trioxide and one molecule of water forming one molecule of sulfuric acid.