Question

Balance the following equation:



Al + Cl2 -> AlCl3

Answer 1

To balance the equation \( \text{Al} + \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow \text{AlCl}_3 \), we need to make sure that the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side is equal to the number on the product side.

1. On the left (reactants), we have:
- Aluminum (Al): 1 atom
- Chlorine (Cl): 2 atoms (from \( \text{Cl}_2 \))

2. On the right (products), we have:
- Aluminum (Al): 1 atom
- Chlorine (Cl): 3 atoms (from \( \text{AlCl}_3 \))

To balance the chlorine, we can place a coefficient of 3 in front of \( \text{Al} \) in the reactants:

\[
4 \text{Al} + 3 \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{AlCl}_3
\]

Now, let's check the balance:

- Aluminum: 4 (from 4 Al) on the left and 2 (from 2 AlCl3) on the right.
- Chlorine: 6 (from 3 Cl2) on the left and 6 (from 2 AlCl3) on the right.

So the balanced equation is:

\[
4 \text{Al} + 3 \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{AlCl}_3
\]