Question

How do I balance this word equation?
potassium iodide → potassium + iodine

Answer 1

To balance the decomposition of potassium iodide into potassium and iodine, the balanced chemical equation is 2 KI → 2 K + I2, reflecting the stoichiometry and conservation of mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

To balance the word equation for the decomposition of potassium iodide (KI) into potassium (K) and iodine (I2), we need to make sure that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the reaction. A correct balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:

2 KI → 2 K + I2

This indicates that 2 moles of potassium iodide decompose to form 2 moles of potassium and 1 mole of diatomic iodine. In this reaction, we are taking into consideration the diatomic nature of iodine. Remember, balancing chemical reactions involves adjusting coefficients to ensure the conservation of mass.