Consider the balanced equation below.

[tex]\[ PCl_3 + Cl_2 \rightarrow PCl_5 \][/tex]

What is the mole ratio of [tex]\( PCl_3 \)[/tex] to [tex]\( PCl_5 \)[/tex]?

A. 1:1
B. 2:1
C. 3:5
D. 5:3



Answer :

Let's start by looking at the given balanced chemical equation:
[tex]\[ \text{PCl}_3 + \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow \text{PCl}_5 \][/tex]

In this chemical equation, the coefficients in front of each compound indicate the number of moles of each substance involved in the reaction. Here are the coefficients in the balanced equation:

- 1 mole of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_3 \)[/tex]
- 1 mole of [tex]\( \text{Cl}_2 \)[/tex]
- 1 mole of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_5 \)[/tex]

Now, the question is asking for the mole ratio of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_3 \)[/tex] to [tex]\( \text{PCl}_5 \)[/tex].

To determine the mole ratio, we consider the coefficients of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_3 \)[/tex] and [tex]\( \text{PCl}_5 \)[/tex] from the balanced equation:
- The coefficient of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_3 \)[/tex] is 1.
- The coefficient of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_5 \)[/tex] is also 1.

The mole ratio is obtained by dividing the coefficient of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_3 \)[/tex] by the coefficient of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_5 \)[/tex]:
[tex]\[ \text{Mole ratio} = \frac{\text{Coefficient of } \text{PCl}_3}{\text{Coefficient of } \text{PCl}_5} = \frac{1}{1} = 1.0 \][/tex]

Therefore, the mole ratio of [tex]\( \text{PCl}_3 \)[/tex] to [tex]\( \text{PCl}_5 \)[/tex] is 1:1.

Among the options provided:
- 1:1
- 2:1
- 3:5
- 5:3

The correct answer is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{1:1} \][/tex]