Question #5f14a

2 Answers
Feb 14, 2017

Balance mass, and balance charge.........

Explanation:

H3CCH2OH+3O22CO2+3H2O

Feb 14, 2017

The balanced equation is CH3CH2OH+3O22CO2+3H2O.

Explanation:

The unbalanced chemical equation is

CH3CH2OH+O2CO2+H2O

A method that often works is first to balance everything other than O and H, then balance O, and finally balance H.

Another useful procedure often is to start with what looks like the most complicated formula.

The most complicated formula looks like CH3CH2OH. We put a 1 in front of it to remind ourselves that the number is now fixed.

1CH3CH2OH+O2CO2+H2O

Balance C:

We have 2 C on the left, so we need 2 C on the right. We put a 2 in front of the CO2.

1CH3CH2OH+O22CO2+H2O

Balance O:

We can't balance O because there are two compounds containing O that have no coefficients.

Balance H:

We have fixed 6 H on the left. We need 6 H on the right. Put a 3 in front of H2O.

1CH3CH2OH+O22CO2+3H2O

Balance O

We have fixed 7 O atoms on the right and one on the left. We need six more O atoms on the left. Put a 3 in front of O2.

1CH3CH2OH+3O22CO2+3H2O

Every formula now has a coefficient. We should have a balanced equation.

Let's check.

Atommlhsmrhs
mCmmm2mml2
mHmmm6mml6
mOmmm7mml7

All atoms balance. The balanced equation is

CH3CH2OH+3O22CO2+3H2O