Is the equation below balanced or unbalanced?
AI2O3->2AI+3O2
The equation AI2O3 -> 2AI + 3O2 is balanced.
The given equation: AI2O3 -> 2AI + 3O2 is balanced because the number of atoms on both sides of the arrow is the same for each element.
To determine if the given equation is balanced or unbalanced, we need to compare the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.
The equation provided is:
AI2O3 -> 2AI + 3O2
On the left side of the equation, we have:
- 2 atoms of Al (AI)
- 3 atoms of O (O)
On the right side of the equation, we have:
- 2 atoms of Al (AI)
- 6 atoms of O (O2 has 2 atoms of O, and we have 3 O2 molecules)
As we can see, the number of Al atoms is already balanced on both sides. However, the number of O atoms is not balanced. On the left side, we have 3 O atoms, while on the right side, we have 6 O atoms. Therefore, the equation is unbalanced.
To balance the equation, we need to adjust the number of O atoms. Since we have 3 O atoms on the left side and 6 O atoms on the right side, we can multiply the coefficient of O2 on the right side by 2 to balance the O atoms on both sides.
The balanced equation will be:
AI2O3 -> 2 AI + 3 O2
Now, we have:
- 2 atoms of Al (AI)
- 6 atoms of O (3 O2 molecules)
Thus, the equation is now balanced by adjusting the coefficients.