To balance the chemical equation [tex]\( \text{Li}_2\text{O} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{LiOH} \)[/tex], we will go through the steps necessary to ensure the atoms of each element are balanced on both sides of the equation.
1. Identify the number of atoms of each element in the unbalanced equation:
- On the left side of the equation, we have:
- Li (Lithium): 2 atoms (from [tex]\(\text{Li}_2\text{O}\)[/tex])
- O (Oxygen): 1 atom (from [tex]\(\text{Li}_2\text{O}\)[/tex])
- H (Hydrogen): 2 atoms (from [tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex])
- O (Oxygen): 1 atom (from [tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex])
2. Enforce the balance of oxygen and hydrogen atoms by adjusting the number of products:
- On the right side of the equation, each [tex]\(\text{LiOH}\)[/tex] molecule contains:
- Li: 1 atom
- O: 1 atom
- H: 1 atom
3. Balance the lithium (Li) atoms:
- Since there are 2 lithium (Li) atoms on the left side, we need 2 [tex]\(\text{LiOH}\)[/tex] molecules on the right side to balance the lithium atoms.
4. Balance the oxygen (O) atoms:
- On the left side: [tex]\(\text{Li}_2\text{O}\)[/tex] contributes 1 oxygen atom and [tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex] contributes 1 oxygen atom, totaling 2 oxygen atoms.
- On the right side: 2 [tex]\(\text{LiOH}\)[/tex] molecules provide 2 oxygen atoms, balancing the oxygen atoms.
5. Balance the hydrogen (H) atoms:
- On the left side: [tex]\(\text{H}_2\text{O}\)[/tex] contributes 2 hydrogen atoms.
- On the right side: 2 [tex]\(\text{LiOH}\)[/tex] molecules contribute 2 hydrogen atoms, which keeps the hydrogen atoms balanced.
6. Verify the balanced equation:
- With the balancing complete, the final equation is:
[tex]\[
\text{Li}_2\text{O} + 1 \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow 2 \text{LiOH}
\][/tex]
Therefore, the coefficients that balance the chemical equation [tex]\( \text{Li}_2\text{O} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \text{LiOH} \)[/tex] are:
[tex]\[ 1 \text{ (for } \text{H}_2\text{O} \text{)} \quad \text{and} \quad 2 \text{ (for } \text{LiOH} \text{)} \][/tex]
So, the balanced chemical equation with correct coefficients is:
[tex]\[ \text{Li}_2\text{O} + \boxed{1} \text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow \boxed{2} \text{LiOH} \][/tex]
