Question

Tin was among the first metals used by humans. Elemental tin is produced by heating tin(IV) oxide, the principal ore of tin, with carbon. The products of this reaction are tin and carbon dioxide. When the equation is written and balanced, what is the coefficient of carbon?

Answer 1

1

Step-by-step explanation:

C + SnO₂ ⟶ Sn + CO₂

1. Pick the most complicated-looking formula (SnO₂?).

Put a 1 in front of it.

C + 1SnO₂ ⟶ Sn + CO₂

2. Balance Sn.

Done.

Put a 1 in front of CS₂.

C + 1SnO₂ ⟶ 1Sn + CO₂

3. Balance O.

We have fixed 2O on the left. We need 2O on the right.

Put a 1 in front of CO₂.

C + 1SnO₂ ⟶ 1Sn + 1CO₂

4. Balance C

We have fixed 1C on the right. We need 1C on the left.

Put a 1 in front of C.

1C + 1SnO₂ ⟶ 1Sn + 1CO₂

All species have a coefficient. The equation should now be balanced.

5. Check that all atoms are balanced

The balanced equation should have the same number of atoms on each side of the reaction arrow.

`\begin{array}{ccc}\textbf{Atom} & \textbf{On the left} & \textbf{On the right}\\\text{C} & 1 & 1\\\text{Sn} & 1 & 1\\\text{O} & 2 & 2\\\end{array}`

The balanced equation is

1C + SnO₂ ⟶ Sn +2CO₂

The coefficient of C is 1.