What is the coefficient for O₂ when this equation is balanced with the lowest whole number coefficients?
C₃H₇OH + O₂ ? CO₂ + H₂O

Question

What is the coefficient for O₂ when this equation is balanced with the lowest whole number coefficients? C₃H₇OH + O₂ ? CO₂ + H₂O

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To balance the equation, we first balance the carbon (C), then hydrogen (H), and finally oxygen (O). The given equation is:$$ \text{CH}_3\text{OH} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O} $$Balancing carbon and hydrogen first:- There is 1 C on both sides.- There are 4 H atoms on the left (in CH3OH), so we need 2 H2O on the right to balance hydrogen.Now, balancing oxygen:- There are 2 O atoms in CO2 and 2 in 2 H2O, making 4 O atoms on the right side. To balance oxygen, we need 2 O2 molecules on the left side, because the original CH3OH contributes 1 O atom, requiring 3 more O atoms from O2, which means we need 1.5 O2 to balance. However, to keep the coefficients as whole numbers, we double all coefficients, leading to:$$ 2 \text{CH}_3\text{OH} + 3 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{CO}_2 + 3 \text{H}_2\text{O} $$Thus, the coefficient for O2 (O₂) when the equation is balanced with the lowest whole number coefficients is 3.

What Is the Coefficient for O2 When This Equation Is

What Is the Coefficient for O₂ When This Equation Is