To balance the chemical equation \( \text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \), we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side equals the number on the product side.
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Count the atoms:
- On the left (reactants):
- Aluminum (Al): 1
- Oxygen (O): 2
- On the right (products):
- Aluminum (Al): 2
- Oxygen (O): 3
- On the left (reactants):
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Balance Aluminum first: We need 2 Aluminum atoms on the left side to match the 2 Aluminium in \(\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3\):
\[ 2 \text{Al} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
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Next, balance Oxygen: Now, we have 2 Oxygen atoms on the left (from \(\text{O}_2\)) and 3 Oxygen atoms on the right (from \(\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3\)). To balance the Oxygen, we can use a coefficient of 3 for \(\text{O}_2\) and a coefficient of 2 for \(\text{Al}_2\text{O}_3\):
\[ 4 \text{Al} + 3 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
Thus, the balanced equation is:
\[ 4 \text{Al} + 3 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 \]
The blanks filled in are:
Blank 1: 4 (for Al)
Blank 2: 3 (for O2)
Blank 3: 2 (for Al2O3)
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