The reaction below occurs in basic solution. In the balanced equation, what is the sum of the coefficients?
Zn + NO₃^- → Zn(OH) ₄^2- + NH₃

Question

The reaction below occurs in basic solution. In the balanced equation, what is the sum of the coefficients? Zn + NO₃^- → Zn(OH)₄^2- + NH₃

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

First, we need to balance the equation by adding coefficients to each element until the number of atoms is the same on both sides. The balanced equation is: Zn + NO₃^- + 4OH- → Zn(OH)₄^2- + NH3 + 3H2O The sum of the coefficients is: 1 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 14 + 12 + 3 = 36 However, we are in a basic solution so we need to add 2 more OH- ions to the left side to balance the charge. This gives us a final balanced equation: Zn + NO₃^- + 6OH- → Zn(OH)₄^2- + NH3 + 3H2O The sum of the coefficients is: 1 + 1 + 6 + 1 + 14 + 12 + 3 = 38 However, we only need to consider the coefficients of the reactants since the question asks for the sum of the coefficients in the balanced equation. The sum of the coefficients of the reactants is: 1 + 1 + 6 = 8 Adding up the coefficients gives us a total of 23. Therefore, the answer is C.

The Reaction Below Occurs in Basic Solution