Expand your knowledge base with the help of IDNLearn.com's extensive answer archive. Discover thorough and trustworthy answers from our community of knowledgeable professionals, tailored to meet your specific needs.

Atoms in Chemical Reactions: Mastery Test

Iron reacts with oxygen to produce iron oxide (rust). This reaction is represented in an equation as [tex]4 \, \text{Fe} + x \, \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \, \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3[/tex]. Identify the value of [tex]x[/tex] that will balance the equation.


Sagot :

To balance the chemical equation for the reaction of iron with oxygen to produce iron oxide, we follow these steps:

1. Write the given chemical equation:
[tex]\[ 4 Fe + x O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3 \][/tex]

2. Determine the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation:
- On the left side of the equation:
- Fe atoms: 4
- O atoms: [tex]\(2 \times x\)[/tex] (since [tex]\(O_2\)[/tex] has 2 oxygen atoms per molecule)

- On the right side of the equation:
- Fe atoms: [tex]\(2 \times 2 = 4\)[/tex] (since [tex]\(Fe_2O_3\)[/tex] has 2 iron atoms per molecule and we have 2 molecules)
- O atoms: [tex]\(3 \times 2 = 6\)[/tex] (since [tex]\(Fe_2O_3\)[/tex] has 3 oxygen atoms per molecule and we have 2 molecules)

3. Set up the equality for the oxygen atoms to ensure the equation is balanced:
- The number of oxygen atoms on the left side should be equal to the number of oxygen atoms on the right side. Thus, we get:
[tex]\[ 2x = 6 \][/tex]

4. Solve for [tex]\(x\)[/tex]:
- Divide both sides of the equation by 2:
[tex]\[ x = \frac{6}{2} \][/tex]
[tex]\[ x = 3 \][/tex]

5. Conclusion:
The value of [tex]\(x\)[/tex] that balances the equation is:
[tex]\[ x = 3 \][/tex]

Thus, the balanced chemical equation is:
[tex]\[ 4 Fe + 3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3 \][/tex]
We appreciate your presence here. Keep sharing knowledge and helping others find the answers they need. This community is the perfect place to learn together. For clear and precise answers, choose IDNLearn.com. Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon for more valuable insights.