Question

Please Help me balance this equation!
H3CH2OH + O2 yields CO2 + H2O

Answer 1

how many H's are there on the right side, how many on the left?

Answer 2

3 on the left and one on the right side

Answer 3

wait...no

Answer 4

so, how many?

Answer 5

4

Answer 6

\(\color{red}{H_3}C\color{red}{H_2}O\color{red}{H} + O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + \color{red}{H_2}O\)

Answer 7

ehh...do we include the subscripts?

Answer 8

lol yes.

are you sure the first is not \(CH_3CH_2OH\)?

Answer 9

yes, i forgot the c. sorry.

Answer 10

so how many H's on each side, how many C's on each side?

Answer 11

9 h's and 1 c

Answer 12

nope.

okay, lets make table

\(CH_3CH_2OH + O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + H_2O\)
LEFT RIGHT
H C H C
6 2 2 1

Answer 13

now, we can only have multiples of these numbers, what coefficients would we need to balance these

Answer 14

umm ones that will balance it?

Answer 15

\(x\;CH_3CH_2OH + y\;O_2 \rightarrow \;w\;CO_2 + \;z\;H_2O\)

so okay if we make z=3 then we have 6 H's on both sides, right?

Answer 16

right

Answer 17

so if we say x=1, what will w equal to balance the carbons?

Answer 18

1

Answer 19

theres 2 C's on the left, 1 on the right, what number do we multiply 1 to have 2?

Answer 20

2

Answer 21

so w=2

Answer 22

so we have,\(\;CH_3CH_2OH + y\;O_2 \rightarrow \;2\;CO_2 + \;3\;H_2O\) what should y equal to?

Answer 23

1 or 2

Answer 24

count the number of O's on each side

Answer 25

on the left or right of the yield sign?

Answer 26

on both sides, the point is to get the same amount of atoms on \(\sf\color{red}{BOTH}\) sides.

Answer 27

wow, aaron, latex master now :-)

Answer 28

haha you mean "still a n00b" but thanks \(\color{brown}{stuhll}\).
I actually downloaded something for word, but i have yet to produce a legible page