Balance the following equation using coefficients where appropriate. C4H10+ O2 --> CO2+ H2O

Answer 1

To begin, let's take the original equation and balance the right side according to the left side, excluding oxygen for now:

C₄H_{10 +} O₂ ⇔ CO₂ + H₂O Multiple CO₂ to get 4 C and multiple H₂O by 5 to get 10 H

C₄H_{10 +} O₂ ⇔ 4CO₂ + 5H₂O

Now to balance the oxygen, note that there are 13 oxygen on the right side and 2 oxygen on the left. This oxygen comes as a pair. Therefore, we will balance the equation as this pair. We will ask how many pairs of oxygen atoms are needed to equal oxygen atom. We need 6.5 pairs of oxygen atoms to equal 13. Therefore the coefficient will be 13/2 for O₂.

C₄H_{10 +} 13/2 O₂ ⇔ 4CO₂ + 5H₂O

To eliminate this mixed number, we need to multiple the entire equation by 2.

2(C₄H₁₀) ₊ 2(13/2)O₂ ⇔ 2(4CO₂₎ + 2(5H₂O)

2C₄H_{10 +} 13O₂ ⇔ 8CO₂ + 10H₂O

With this, the number of atoms on the left side equals the number on the right side.