Question

Fill in the coefficients that will balance the following reaction:

(Note: Use 1 as coefficient where appropriate.)

_C3H7OH + _O2 → _CO2 + _H2O

Answer 1

To balance the reaction C3H7OH + O2 → CO2 + H2O, you need to find the correct coefficients for each compound. After balancing carbon and hydrogen atoms, balancing oxygen can be tricky due to the requirement of an even number, resulting in the balanced equation 2C3H7OH + 11O2 → 6CO2 + 8H2O.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question is about balancing the chemical equation C3H7OH + O2 → CO2 + H2O.

To balance this equation, follow these steps:

Balance the number of carbon (C) atoms. In this case, we have 3 carbons in C3H7OH, so we need 3 molecules of CO2.

Balance the number of hydrogen (H) atoms. There are 8 hydrogens in C3H7OH (remember to count the H in OH as well), so you need 4 molecules of H2O to get 8 hydrogen atoms.

Now, balance the oxygen (O) atoms. You have a total of 11 oxygen atoms on the product side (3 from the CO2 and 4 from the H2O), so you need 5.5 O2 molecules to get 11 oxygen atoms. Since we prefer to avoid fractions, you can multiply all coefficients by 2.

This results in the balanced chemical equation: 2C3H7OH + 11O2 → 6CO2 + 8H2O. Always double-check to confirm the equation is balanced.

Answer 2

2C3H7OH + 9O2 → 6CO2 + 8H2O