To determine which of the given chemical equations is correctly balanced, we need to compare the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side to the number of atoms on the product side for each equation.
A. [tex]\( \text{NaClO}_3 \rightarrow \text{NaCl} + 3\text{O}_2 \)[/tex]
- Reactants: [tex]\( \text{NaClO}_3 \)[/tex]
- Na: 1
- Cl: 1
- O: 3
- Products: [tex]\( \text{NaCl} + 3\text{O}_2 \)[/tex]
- Na: 1
- Cl: 1
- O: [tex]\(3 \times 2 = 6\)[/tex]
This equation is not balanced because the number of oxygen atoms is not the same on both sides.
B. [tex]\( 2\text{HgO} \rightarrow 2\text{Hg} + \text{O}_2 \)[/tex]
- Reactants: [tex]\( 2\text{HgO} \)[/tex]
- Hg: [tex]\(2 \times 1 = 2\)[/tex]
- O: [tex]\(2 \times 1 = 2\)[/tex]
- Products: [tex]\( 2\text{Hg} + \text{O}_2 \)[/tex]
- Hg: 2
- O: 2
This equation is balanced because the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.
C. [tex]\( 2 \text{ZnS} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{ZnO} + 2\text{SO}_2 \)[/tex]
- Reactants: [tex]\( 2 \text{ZnS} + \text{O}_2 \)[/tex]
- Zn: 2
- S: 2
- O: 2
- Products: [tex]\( 2\text{ZnO} + 2\text{SO}_2 \)[/tex]
- Zn: 2
- S: 2
- O: [tex]\( 2+ 2 \times 2 = 6\)[/tex]
This equation is not balanced because the number of oxygen atoms is not the same on both sides.
D. [tex]\( 4\text{CO} + \text{Fe}_3\text{O}_4 \rightarrow 4\text{CO}_2 + \text{Fe} \)[/tex]
- Reactants: [tex]\( 4\text{CO} + \text{Fe}_3\text{O}_4 \)[/tex]
- C: 4
- O: [tex]\( 4 + 4= 8\)[/tex]
- Fe: 3
- Products: [tex]\( 4\text{CO}_2 + \text{Fe} \)[/tex]
- C: 4
- O: [tex]\( 4 \times 2= 8\)[/tex]
- Fe: 1
This equation is not balanced because the number of iron (Fe) atoms is not the same on both sides.
E. [tex]\( 2\text{Fe} + 2\text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{FeCl}_3 \)[/tex]
- Reactants: [tex]\( 2\text{Fe} + 2\text{Cl}_2 \)[/tex]
- Fe: 2
- Cl: [tex]\( 2 \times 2= 4 \)[/tex]
- Products: [tex]\( 2\text{FeCl}_3 \)[/tex]
- Fe: 2
- Cl: [tex]\( 2 \times 3= 6 \)[/tex]
This equation is not balanced because the number of chlorine (Cl) atoms is not the same on both sides.
The only correctly balanced equation is therefore:
B. [tex]\( 2\text{HgO} \rightarrow 2\text{Hg} + \text{O}_2 \)[/tex]
