Final answer:
The balanced chemical equation for the formation of methanol from gaseous hydrogen and carbon monoxide is 2H2(g) + CO(g) → CH3OH(g), indicating that two moles of hydrogen react with one mole of carbon monoxide to produce one mole of methanol.
Step-by-step explanation:
The balanced chemical reaction for the synthesis of methanol from gaseous hydrogen and carbon monoxide is described as follows:
22H2(g) + CO(g) → CH3OH(g)
In this reaction, two moles of hydrogen (H2) gas react with one mole of carbon monoxide (CO) gas to produce one mole of methanol (CH3OH) gas. The coefficients in the balanced equation represent the molar amounts of each reactant and product necessary to satisfy the conservation of mass. If we refer to standard molar enthalpies, we could calculate the change in enthalpy (ΔH°) for this reaction, which is a common question when dealing with chemical reactions.