Answer:
To balance the chemical equation:
Al + O2 → Al₂O₃
We need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is equal on both sides of the equation.
Let's start by counting the number of Al atoms. We have 1 Al atom on the left side and 2 Al atoms on the right side, so we need to balance the Al atoms by putting a coefficient of 2 in front of Al on the left side:
2Al + O2 → Al₂O₃
Next, let's count the number of O atoms. We have 2 O atoms on the left side and 3 O atoms on the right side. To balance the O atoms, we need to put a coefficient of 3/2 in front of O2 on the left side:
2Al + (3/2)O2 → Al₂O₃
However, it is not ideal to have fractional coefficients in a balanced chemical equation. To get rid of the fractional coefficient, we can multiply everything in the equation by 2 to make all the coefficients whole numbers:
2(2Al) + 2(3/2)O2 → 2Al₂O₃
4Al + 3O2 → 2Al₂O₃
Therefore, the balanced chemical equation is:
4Al + 3O2 → 2Al₂O₃
Step-by-step explanation: