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Consider the equation:

CH4+O2→2H2O+CO2

Which element or elements are unbalanced in this equation?

Responses

C, H, and Oare all unbalanced.
uppercase C , uppercase H , and uppercase O are all unbalanced.

Only the Ois unbalanced.
Only the uppercase O is unbalanced.

Only the His unbalanced.
Only the uppercase H is unbalanced.

Both Hand Oare unbalanced.

1 answer

To determine which elements are unbalanced in the equation \( \text{CH}_4 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2 \), we can count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.

On the reactants side:

  • Carbon (C): 1 (from CH4)
  • Hydrogen (H): 4 (from CH4)
  • Oxygen (O): 2 (from O2)

On the products side:

  • Carbon (C): 1 (from CO2)
  • Hydrogen (H): 4 (from 2 H2O; 2 H2O contributes 4 H atoms)
  • Oxygen (O): 4 (2 from 2 H2O and 2 from CO2)

Now let's compare the counts:

  • Carbon: Balanced (1 on each side)
  • Hydrogen: Balanced (4 on each side)
  • Oxygen: Unbalanced (2 on the reactants side, 4 on the products side)

Therefore, the correct response is:

Only the O is unbalanced.