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Iron reacts with atmospheric oxygen to form iron oxide or ferric oxide. Look at the chemical equation for this reaction:
[tex] Fe + O _2 \rightarrow Fe _2 O _3 [/tex]

This equation is unbalanced. Which of the following is the correct balanced equation for this reaction?

A. [tex]4 Fe + 3 O _2 \rightarrow 2 Fe _2 O _3[/tex]

B. [tex]3 Fe + 4 O _2 \rightarrow 2 Fe _2 O _3[/tex]

C. [tex]2 Fe + 4 O _2 \rightarrow 3 Fe _2 O _3[/tex]

D. [tex]3 Fe + 3 O _2 \rightarrow 4 Fe _2 O _3[/tex]

E. [tex]4 Fe + 4 O _2 \rightarrow 3 Fe _2 O _3[/tex]

Sagot :

GinnyAnsweridn
To determine the correct balanced equation for the reaction of iron (Fe) with atmospheric oxygen (O₂) to form iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), we will follow a systematic approach to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation:

Given the general, unbalanced chemical equation:
[tex]\[ \text{Fe} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \][/tex]

We need to balance this equation.

### Step 1: Write down the number of each type of atom in the unbalanced equation.

- On the left side (reactants):
- Fe: 1 atom
- O: 2 atoms (from [tex]\( \text{O}_2 \)[/tex])

- On the right side (products):
- Fe: 2 atoms (from [tex]\( \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \)[/tex])
- O: 3 atoms (from [tex]\( \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \)[/tex])

### Step 2: Balance the iron (Fe) atoms.

Since there are 2 Fe atoms on the right side and only 1 on the left side, we put a coefficient of 2 in front of Fe on the left side:
[tex]\[ 2\text{Fe} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \][/tex]

Now, the left side has:
- Fe: 2 atoms
- O: 2 atoms

The right side has:
- Fe: 2 atoms
- O: 3 atoms

### Step 3: Balance the oxygen (O) atoms.

There are 3 oxygen atoms on the right side and only 2 oxygen atoms on the left side. To balance the oxygen atoms, we need to find a common multiple for the number of oxygen atoms on both sides:
- The least common multiple of 2 and 3 is 6.

To get 6 oxygen atoms on both sides, we will use coefficients that allow us to multiply as needed. Hence, we need to have 3 [tex]\( \text{O}_2 \)[/tex] molecules (providing 6 oxygen atoms) on the left side and 2 [tex]\( \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \)[/tex] molecules (which contain 6 oxygen atoms) on the right side.

So, we balance the equation as follows:
[tex]\[ 4\text{Fe} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \][/tex]

### Step 4: Verify the balance of the final equation.

- Left side (reactants):
- Fe: 4 atoms
- O: 6 atoms (from 3 [tex]\( \text{O}_2 \)[/tex])

- Right side (products):
- Fe: 4 atoms (from 2 [tex]\( \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \)[/tex])
- O: 6 atoms (from 2 [tex]\( \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \)[/tex])

Hence, the balanced equation is:
[tex]\[ 4\text{Fe} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 \][/tex]

### Conclusion

The correct balanced equation is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{4\text{Fe} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3} \][/tex]

Therefore, the correct choice is:

A. [tex]\( 4 \text{Fe} + 3 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{Fe}_2 \text{O}_3 \)[/tex]
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