Question

what is the balanced equation: aluminum reacts with iron(III) oxide to produce aluminum oxide and iron

Answer 1

do you know the formula of iron(III) oxide?

Answer 2

no i need help balancing the whole equation

Answer 3

do you know the valence of oxygen in bonding?

Answer 4

no

Answer 5

do you think you could balance it for me? i need it to solve a question

Answer 6

can you tell me the valence of the Iron?

Answer 7

what do you mean?

Answer 8

Oxygen usually has a valence of 2-
and in this case the valence of the iron is 3+

Answer 9

so this makes iron oxide \(\text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3\) .

make sense?

Answer 10

yes

Answer 11

can you tell me the valence of the aluminum in aluminium oxide?

Answer 12

3+

Answer 13

good, so what is the formula for aluminium oxide?

Answer 14

Al2O3 ?

Answer 15

thats right,

Answer 16

so the unbalanced reaction would be

\[\text{Al}_{(s)}+{\text{Fe}_2\text O_3}_{(ag)}\quad\to\quad{\text {Al}_2\text O_3}_{(aq)}+\text{Fe}_{(s)}\]

right?

Answer 17

what do you need to do to balance the reaction?

Answer 18

2Al & 2Fe ?

Answer 19

So, the balanced reaction is
\[2\text{Al}_{(s)}+{\text{Fe}_2\text O_3}_{(ag)}\quad\to\quad{\text {Al}_2\text O_3}_{(aq)}+2\text{Fe}_{(s)}\]

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Answer 20

okay thank you so much!