To balance the chemical equation for the reaction of iron with oxygen to form iron oxide ([tex]\(Fe_2O_3\)[/tex]), follow these steps:
1. Write the unbalanced equation:
[tex]\[
Fe + O_2 \rightarrow Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
2. List the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation:
- Left side: 1 Fe, 2 O
- Right side: 2 Fe, 3 O
3. Balance the iron (Fe) atoms:
- On the right side, there are 2 Fe atoms.
- To balance Fe on the left side, place a coefficient of 2 in front of Fe:
[tex]\[
2 Fe + O_2 \rightarrow Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
- Now the count is:
- Left side: 2 Fe, 2 O
- Right side: 2 Fe, 3 O
4. Balance the oxygen (O) atoms:
- On the right side, there are 3 O atoms.
- On the left side, each [tex]\(O_2\)[/tex] molecule contains 2 O atoms. To balance the oxygen atoms, place a coefficient of 3/2 in front of [tex]\(O_2\)[/tex]:
[tex]\[
2 Fe + \frac{3}{2} O_2 \rightarrow Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
- Now the count is:
- Left side: 2 Fe, [tex]\(3 \times \frac{1}{2} = 3\)[/tex] O
- Right side: 2 Fe, 3 O
5. To avoid fractional coefficients, multiply the entire equation by 2 to get whole numbers:
[tex]\[
4 Fe + 3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
6. Re-check the balance:
- Left side: 4 Fe, 6 O
- Right side: 4 Fe, 6 O
The equation is now balanced.
Thus, the correct balanced equation is:
[tex]\[
4 Fe + 3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3
\][/tex]
Comparing this to the given options:
- Option A: [tex]\(4 Fe +3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3\)[/tex]
The correct answer is:
A. [tex]\(4 Fe +3 O_2 \rightarrow 2 Fe_2O_3\)[/tex]
