Question

C10H8 + 12O2 -> 10 CO2 + 4 H2O

Does anybody here know the trick on balancing equations that have CO in them? I remember the teacher saying something like balancing Oxygen first then C then H or something like that but I don't remember the exact details.

Answer 1

hmmm I would just look at it the following way
C10H8 + O2 -> CO2 + H2O
carbon:
C10H8 + O2 -> 10 CO2 + H2O
Hydrogen:
C10H8 + O2 -> 10 CO2 + 4 H2O
Oxygen:
C10H8 + 12O2 -> 10 CO2 + 4 H2O

Answer 2

but i think i have come across something like this, i do not know whether it would work..
\[C_xH_y + (x+\frac{ y }{ 4 })O_2\rightarrow xCO_2+\frac{ y }{ 2 }H_2O\]

Answer 3

But I can say the reason I take hydrogen before oxygen is because there is only one reactant and one product that contain hydrogen whereas both products contain oxygen making it "harder"

Answer 4

Thanks!

Answer 5

I always balance O's last in a combustion