To solve this problem, we need to balance the chemical equation for the reaction between iron (Fe) and oxygen (O₂) to form iron oxide (Fe₂O₃). The given unbalanced equation is:
[tex]\[
Fe + O_2 \rightarrow Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Identify the reactants and products:
- Reactants: Iron (Fe) and Oxygen (O₂)
- Products: Iron oxide (Fe₂O₃)
2. Count the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and products:
- On the reactant side: 1 atom of Fe and 2 atoms of O (in O₂)
- On the product side: 2 atoms of Fe and 3 atoms of O (in Fe₂O₃)
3. Balance the equation:
- Let's start by balancing iron (Fe) atoms. Since there are 2 Fe atoms in Fe₂O₃, we need 2 Fe atoms on the reactant side. Here we can write:
[tex]\[
2 Fe + O_2 \rightarrow Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
- Now, we have 2 Fe atoms on both sides, but we also need to balance the oxygen atoms. Currently, we have 2 oxygen atoms on the reactant side and 3 on the product side. To balance oxygen, we need to think of a common multiple. In this case, the least common multiple of 2 and 3 is 6. Therefore, let's adjust the coefficients to get 6 oxygen atoms on both sides:
[tex]\[
4 Fe + 3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
- Now, we have 4 iron atoms and 6 oxygen atoms on the reactant side, and 4 iron atoms (2 molecules of Fe₂O₃ each containing 2 Fe atoms) and 6 oxygen atoms (2 molecules of Fe₂O₃ each containing 3 O atoms) on the product side.
4. Verify the balance:
- Atom count on the reactant side: 4 Fe atoms and 6 O atoms.
- Atom count on the product side: 4 Fe atoms and 6 O atoms.
The balanced chemical equation is:
[tex]\[
4 Fe + 3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
So, the correct answer is:
A. [tex]\( 4 Fe + 3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3 \)[/tex]
