When the following equation is balanced, the coefficient of HNO₃is _ . A) 4 B) 1 C) 2 D) 5 E) 3

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The coefficient of HNO₃ in a balanced equation is determined by the lowest whole-number ratio of the coefficients of each element in the compound. Counting the number of each element in HNO₃, we have 1 H, 1 N, 1 O, 5 S, and 2 B. The coefficients must be in the ratio 1:1:1:5:2 to ensure that the equation is balanced. The smallest set of integers that satisfies this ratio is 2:2:2:10:4, which reduces to 1:1:1:5:2 when divided by its greatest common factor of 2. Therefore, the coefficient of HNO₃ when the equation is balanced is 2.

When the Following Equation Is Balanced, the Coefficient of HNO3

When the Following Equation Is Balanced, the Coefficient of HNO₃