Final answer:
The balanced chemical equation for the combustion of heptane is C7H16(l) + 11O2(g) → 7CO2(g) + 8H2O(g), ensuring that the number of atoms for each element is equal on both sides of the equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The combustion of heptane (C7H16) can be represented by a chemical equation that includes the phases of the reactants and products. The balanced chemical equation for this combustion reaction is:
C7H16(l) + 11O2(g) → 7CO2(g) + 8H2O(g)
To balance this equation, check that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the equation. For heptane combustion, we have 7 carbon (C) atoms from heptane becoming 7 molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2), 16 hydrogen (H) atoms becoming 8 molecules of water (H2O), and 22 oxygen (O) atoms from 11 molecules of oxygen gas combined with carbon and hydrogen to form carbon dioxide and water.