Balance each equation by entering the correct coefficients. NH3 + O2 → NO + H2O
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The unbalanced chemical equation is:
NH3+O2→NO+H2O\text{NH}_3 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{NO} + \text{H}_2\text{O}NH3+O2→NO+H2O
Step 1: Balance Nitrogen (N)
On the left side, there is 1 nitrogen atom from ammonia (NH₃). On the right side, nitrogen appears in nitric oxide (NO), so we need to balance nitrogen first.
To balance nitrogen, place a coefficient of 1 in front of NO:
NH3+O2→1 NO+H2O\text{NH}_3 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 1 \, \text{NO} + \text{H}_2\text{O}NH3+O2→1NO+H2O
Step 2: Balance Hydrogen (H)
On the left side, there are 3 hydrogen atoms in NH₃. On the right side, hydrogen appears in water (H₂O), so we need to place a coefficient of 3 in front of H₂O to balance the hydrogens.
The equation becomes:
NH3+O2→1 NO+3 H2O\text{NH}_3 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 1 \, \text{NO} + 3 \, \text{H}_2\text{O}NH3+O2→1NO+3H2O
Step 3: Balance Oxygen (O)
Now, we need to balance oxygen atoms. On the right side, there is 1 oxygen in NO and 3 oxygens in the 3 H₂O molecules. This gives us a total of 4 oxygen atoms on the right side.
To balance this, place a coefficient of 2 in front of O₂ (because each O₂ molecule contains 2 oxygen atoms):
NH3+2 O2→1 NO+3 H2O\text{NH}_3 + 2 \, \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 1 \, \text{NO} + 3 \, \text{H}_2\text{O}NH3+2O2→1NO+3H2O
Step 4: Check the balance
Now, let’s check the atom count:
- Nitrogen: 1 atom on both sides.
- Hydrogen: 3 atoms on both sides (3 H₂O molecules contribute 6 hydrogens, and 3 hydrogens come from NH₃).
- Oxygen: 4 atoms on both sides (2 O₂ molecules on the left give 4 oxygens, and 1 from NO + 3 from H₂O on the right).
Final Balanced Equation:
NH3+2 O2→NO+3 H2O\text{NH}_3 + 2 \, \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{NO} + 3 \, \text{H}_2\text{O}NH3+2O2→NO+3H2O
This is the correctly balanced equation.
Explanation
Balancing chemical equations follows the principle of the conservation of mass, meaning that the number of atoms of each element must be the same on both sides of the equation. By adjusting the coefficients (the numbers placed in front of compounds), we ensure that this principle is followed. In this reaction, ammonia (NH₃) reacts with oxygen (O₂) to produce nitric oxide (NO) and water (H₂O). Each element is balanced step by step, starting with the element that appears in the least number of compounds and moving to others, ensuring all atoms are conserved.
