Question
balance the equations Al + O2 >> Al2O3
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To balance the chemical equation for the reaction of aluminum (Al) with oxygen (O\(_2\)) to form aluminum oxide (Al\(_2\)O\(_3\)), you can follow these steps:
1. Write the unbalanced equation:
\[ \text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
2. Count the number of each type of atom on both sides:
- Left: Al = 1, O = 2
- Right: Al = 2, O = 3
3. Balance the aluminum (Al) atoms first. Since there are 2 Al in Al\(_2\)O\(_3\), place a coefficient of 2 in front of aluminum on the left side:
\[ 2\text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
4. Next, balance the oxygen (O) atoms. There are 3 O in Al\(_2\)O\(_3\) and 2 in O\(_2\). To balance the oxygens, you can find a common multiple. The least common multiple of 3 and 2 is 6.
- You need 6 O atoms total on the left, which requires 3 O\(_2\) molecules:
\[ 2\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
5. Now, adjust the aluminum to ensure it is balanced:
- With 3 O\(_2\) providing 6 O, you need 4 Al to balance:
\[ 4\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
6. Now verify that the equation is balanced:
- Left: Al = 4, O = 6
- Right: Al = 4, O = 6
The balanced equation is:
\[ 4\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
1. Write the unbalanced equation:
\[ \text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
2. Count the number of each type of atom on both sides:
- Left: Al = 1, O = 2
- Right: Al = 2, O = 3
3. Balance the aluminum (Al) atoms first. Since there are 2 Al in Al\(_2\)O\(_3\), place a coefficient of 2 in front of aluminum on the left side:
\[ 2\text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
4. Next, balance the oxygen (O) atoms. There are 3 O in Al\(_2\)O\(_3\) and 2 in O\(_2\). To balance the oxygens, you can find a common multiple. The least common multiple of 3 and 2 is 6.
- You need 6 O atoms total on the left, which requires 3 O\(_2\) molecules:
\[ 2\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
5. Now, adjust the aluminum to ensure it is balanced:
- With 3 O\(_2\) providing 6 O, you need 4 Al to balance:
\[ 4\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
6. Now verify that the equation is balanced:
- Left: Al = 4, O = 6
- Right: Al = 4, O = 6
The balanced equation is:
\[ 4\text{Al} + 3\text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]