Balancing Chemical Formulas I

_____ CaC2

+ ______O2

______ Ca + ______CO2

Ca _1__ C _2__ O _2__

Ca _1__ C _1__ O _2__

Write in what we have.

We note that Carbon is unbalanced. We have 2 atoms of carbon on this side and 1 on the other.

__1___ CaC2

+ ___2___O2 __1____ Ca + ___2___CO2

Ca _1__ C _2__ O _4__

Ca _1__ C _2__ O _4__ Lets multiply this C by 2. The red are the new answers, and this will affect the number of oxygen atomssee the blue. Lets change the other side to have that match the oxygen atoms. We are officially balanced nowfill in the blanks above

_____C5H12

+ ______ O2 ______ CO2 + ______ H2O

C _5__ H _12__ O _2__

1.
2.

C _1__ O _2__ + _1_ = H _2__

Write what we have first. Note we have 5 Carbon atoms on one side and 1 on the other

__1___C5H12 + ___8___ O2 ___5___ CO2 + __ 6___ H2O C _5__ H _12__ O _16__ C _5__ O _10__ + _6_ = H _12__ 2. All is balanced!

_____ C

+ ______ SO2

______ CS2 + ______ CO

C _1__ S _1__ O _2__

1.

C _1__ + _1__= 2 S _2__ O _1__ 3. We need 2 O here.

2.

Count out what we have so far. We need 2 C here and 2 S here.

___2__ C

+ ___2___ SO2

______ CS2 + ______ CO

C _2__ S _2__ O _4__

1.
2.

C _1__ + _1__= 2 S _2__ O _2__

Count out what we have so far. We need 2 C here and 2 S here. When we do this the O changes to 4

3. Now we need 4 Os here. We need to change that

___5__ C

+ ___2___ SO2

__1____ CS2 + ___4___ CO

C _5__ S _2__ O _4__

C _1__ + _4__= 5 S _2__ O _4__

2. Change the above C to 5 atoms. This should balance out. It does!

1. Now we need 4 Os here. So change the bottom O to 4 and Now we have 5 Cs. Lets look at the other side.

____Si4H10 + _____ O2 _____ SiO2 + _____ H2O

Si _4__ H _10__ O _2__ 1. Count out what we have first.

Si _1__ H _2__ O _2__ + _1__ = 3

____Si4H10 + _____ O2 __4___ SiO2 + __5___ H2O Si _4__ H _10__ O _2__ Si _4__ H _5__ O _8__ + _5__ = 13

Lets leave the Oxygen as it shows up in 2 different places in the product.

Si we need 4. Lets change that. H we need 10 so 2x5=10. We now have 13 Os see the blue. Still need to work this out

____Si4H10 + _____ O2 __4___ SiO2 + __5___ H2O

Si _4__ H _10__ O _2__

Si _4__ H _10__ O _8__ + _5__ = 13

On this side we need 10 Hs so lets change that. And this brings about 5 oxygen. We now have 13 oxygen

____Si4H10 + _____ O2 __4___ SiO2 + __5___ H2O Si _4__ H _10__ O _2__

To have O2 become 13 atoms we would have to multiply this by 6.5. Not going to happen, we cannot split atoms in grade 9 sciencesowe need to double everything up and this will be multiplied by 13!

Si _4__ H _10__ O _8__ + _5__ = 13

__2__Si4H10 + __13___ O2 __8___ SiO2 + __10___ H2O

Si _8__ H _20__ O _26__

Si _8__ H _20__ O _16__ + _10__ = 26

So 6.5x2 is 13 but, we This was a tough one, cant split atoms. Lets but it worked. It is double this, bring it to balanced. 26 and double everything elsethis may work.

__ Ca3(PO4)2 + __ SiO2 + __ C Ca _3__ P _2__ O _8__ + _2__= Si _1__ C _1__ Count these out. Work out the numbers for everything else but leave the Oxygen atoms as they are found in 4 different places in this equation and are trickier to work with at the start.

__CaSiO3 + __CO + __ P Ca _1__ P _1__ O _3__ + _1__= Si _1__ C _1__

__ Ca3(PO4)2 + __ SiO2 + __ C Ca _3__ P _2__ O _8__ + _2__= Si _1__ C _1__

__CaSiO3 + __CO + __ P Ca _3__ P _2__ O _9__ + _1__= 10 Si _3__ C _1__ When we change the number of atoms in Calcium this affects the number of atoms in O and Si note the blue. We need more Si in the reactant side.

__ Ca3(PO4)2 + __ SiO2 + __ C Ca _3__ P _2__ O _8__ + _6__= 14 Si _3__ C _1__ Changing the Si here to match the product side, this changes the final oxygen atom amount. See the blue.

__CaSiO3 + __CO + __ P

Ca _3__ P _2__ O _9__ + _5__= 10 Si _3__ C _5__ Now we need to change one of the oxygens here, go with the easiest one. This will bring C to 5.

Ca3(PO4)2 + _3_ SiO2 + _5_ C Ca _3__ P _2__ O _8__ + _6__= 14 Si _3__ C _5__ Finally change the amount of carbon here to match the product side. Were balanced.

_3_CaSiO3 + _5_CO + 2_ P

Ca _3__ P _2__ O _9__ + _5__= 14 Si _3__ C _5__

____ NH3 + _____ O2 _____ NO + _____ H2O

N _1__ H _3__ O _2__ Write out what we have and leave the Os to the end.

N _1__ H _2__ O _1__ + __1__= 2 Hydrogen isnt balanced. Lets find a common multiple: 2x3 is 6.

__2__ NH3 + _____ O2 _____ NO + __3___ H2O

N _2__ H _6__ O _2__

N _1__ H _6__ O _1__ + __3__= 4

Changing the amount of hydrogen affects the amount of nitrogen.

Hydrogen isnt balanced. Lets find a common multiple: 2x3 is 6. This changes the amount of Oxygen atoms (see blue).

__2__ NH3 + _____ O2 __2___ NO + __3___ H2O N _2__ H _6__ O _2__ N _2__ H _6__ O _2__ + __3__= 5

Now we need to deal with 5 Oxygendoesnt divide by 2 very well for the other side, cannot have 2.5 atoms on the other side so lets double up everything

__2__ NH3 + _____ O2 __4___ NO + __6___ H2O

N _2__ H _6__ O _10__

N _4__ H _12__ O _4__ + _6___= 10 so lets double up everything Now we have to change the other side to balance this

__4__ NH3 + __5___ O2 __4___ NO + __6___ H2O

N _4__ H _12__ O _10__

N _4__ H _12__ O _4__ + _6___= 10

Not balanced yet, we need 4 Nitrogens and 12 Hydrogens, when we double up the N and H this gets balanced

__ LiAlH4 + __BF3 __ LiF + __AlF3 + __ B2H6

Li _1__ Al _1__ H _4__ B _1__ F _3__ Count out what we have.

Li _1__ Al _1__ H _6__ B _2__ F _1__ + _3___ = ____

_3_ LiAlH4 + __BF3 __ LiF + __AlF3 + _2_ B2H6

Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _1__ F _3__ Leave the F for last as it shows up a few times in the product. We need more hydrogen here, first multiple between 4 and 6 would be 12 as 4 goes into 12 3x and 6 goes into 12 2x. Now record what else changed. See the blue. Li _1__ Al _1__ H _12__ B _4__ F _1__ + _3___ = ____

_3_ LiAlH4 + __BF3 __ LiF + __AlF3 + _2_ B2H6 Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _1__ F _3__ We now have 3 Li here and 3 Al with 1 of each on the other side. Change those. See yellow on other side. Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _4__ F _1__ + _3___ = ____ Now this has affected other atoms

_3_ LiAlH4 + _4_BF3 _3_ LiF + _3_AlF3 + _2_ B2H6 Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _4__ F _3__ Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _4__ F _3__ + _9___ = ____ Remember leave the F till the end. But B is unbalanced. We need 4 on the other side. Lets change that, see yellow.

_3_ LiAlH4 + _4_BF3 _3_ LiF + _3_AlF3 + _2_ B2H6 Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _4__ F _12__ Now F is affected as we changed the number of atoms in Boron. We have 12 Flourineand it is now balanced!!! Li _3__ Al _3__ H _12__ B _4__ F _3__ + _9___ = ____

___K2Cr2O7 + ___ HCl ___KCl + ___CrCl3 + ___H2O + ___ Cl2

K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _1_ Cl _1_ Write out what you have. Note which are balanced and which are not balanced.

K _1_ Cr _1_ O _1_ H _2_ Cl _1_+_3_+_2_=

___K2Cr2O7 + ___ HCl __2_KCl + _2__CrCl3 + _7_H2O + ___ Cl2

K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _1_ Cl _1_ Balance these out and note the affect this has on the other atoms. Start with the K and Cr, see the red. The blue is the affect the changes have on the other atoms.

K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _14_ Cl _2_+_6_+_2_= Leave the chlorine to the very end as it is found in multiple placements in the product this is tricky.

__K2Cr2O7 + _14_ HCl __2_KCl + _2__CrCl3 + _7_H2O + __ Cl2

K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _14_ Cl _14_ The Hydrogen isnt balanced so bring that to 14 and see what this affects we are almost all balanced

K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _14_ Cl _2_+_6_+_2_=

_1_K2Cr2O7 + _14_ HCl __2_KCl + _2__CrCl3 + _7_H2O + 3_ Cl2 K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _14_ Cl _14_ Lets look at the chlorine, we have 14 here and 10 on the other side. K _2_ Cr _2_ O _7_ H _14_ Cl _2_+_6_+_6_= Chlorine is on its own at the end of this formula, note the Cl2. Now we need 14 on this side, 14-2-6-2= 6lets go with 3Cl2

We are balanced!!

___ TiO2 + ____ B4C + ____ C ___ TiB2 + ___ CO

Ti O B C

_1__ _2__ _4__ _1__+_1__ = 2

Ti O B C

_1__ _1__ _2__ _1__

Write in the numbers.

___ TiO2 + ____ B4C + ____ C ___ TiB2 + ___ CO

Ti O B C _1__ _2__ _4__ _1__+_1__ = 2 Ti O B C _2__ _2__ _4__ _2__

I made the changes in red to match the other side and in the blue are the atoms attached to oxygen and boron they too are affectedleave carbon to the end. Next go to the other side and match these numbers.

___ TiO2 + ____ B4C + ____ C ___ TiB2 + ___ CO

Ti O B C

_2__ _4__ _4__ _1__+_1__ = 2

Ti O B C

_2__ _4__ _4__ _4__

1. Make the changes in red and in blue see what this affectsleave carbon to the end.

2. Change the oxygen on this side to match. It then changes the carbon amount.

_2_ TiO2 + __1_ B4C + __3_ C _2_ TiB2 + _4_ CO Ti O B C _2__ _4__ _4__ _1__+_3__ = 4 Ti O B C _2__ _4__ _4__ _4__

Still unbalanced, look at the carbon. Now look at the lonely carbon at the end of the reactant side 4-1=3, change that last one to 3
Balanced

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