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This chemical reaction is depicted:

SnO2 + H2 → Sn + H2O
Is this balanced or unbalanced? Why?

5 answers

To determine if the chemical reaction \( \text{SnO}_2 + \text{H}_2 \rightarrow \text{Sn} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \) is balanced, we need to compare the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.

Reactants:

  • SnO\(_2\) has:

    • 1 Sn (tin)
    • 2 O (oxygen)

  • H\(_2\) has:

    • 2 H (hydrogen)

Total in Reactants:

  • 1 Sn
  • 2 O
  • 2 H

Products:

  • Sn has:

    • 1 Sn

  • H\(_2\)O has:

    • 2 H
    • 1 O

Total in Products:

  • 1 Sn
  • 1 O
  • 2 H

Now, let's compare both sides:

Reactants:

  • Sn: 1
  • O: 2
  • H: 2

Products:

  • Sn: 1
  • O: 1
  • H: 2

Overall, the reaction is:

  • Tin (Sn): 1 = 1
  • Oxygen (O): 2 ≠ 1 (unbalanced)
  • Hydrogen (H): 2 = 2

Since the number of oxygen atoms does not match (2 in reactants and 1 in products), the reaction is unbalanced.

To balance it, you could adjust the coefficients in front of the compounds. For example, placing a coefficient of 2 in front of H\(_2\)O would balance the oxygen atoms:

2 SnO\(_2\) + 4 H\(_2\) → 2 Sn + 4 H\(_2\)O

This way you will have matches for all elements on both sides of the reaction.

so would you say there are more reactants exceeds the mass of products or the mass of reactants is less than the mass of the products?

In a balanced chemical reaction, the law of conservation of mass states that the mass of the reactants must equal the mass of the products. This means that, in a properly balanced reaction, there should not be more mass on one side than the other.

In the example you provided (\( \text{SnO}_2 + \text{H}_2 \rightarrow \text{Sn} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \)), since the reaction is unbalanced as written, we cannot directly assess the masses without balancing the equation first.

In a balanced equation:

  • The total mass of reactants will equal the total mass of products.

If a reaction is unbalanced, we cannot claim that the mass of the reactants exceeds the mass of the products or vice versa; the equation must first be balanced to make such assessments accurately.

Once the equation is balanced properly, for every reaction, the mass will remain equal, confirming that the mass of the reactants and the mass of the products are always the same according to the law of conservation of mass.

so would you say there are more reactants exceeds the mass of products? yes or no

No, I would not say that. In a balanced chemical equation, the mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products. In the case of the unbalanced reaction provided, we cannot determine the mass comparison until the equation is balanced. But based on the principle of conservation of mass, the mass of the reactants will always equal the mass of the products once the equation is correctly balanced.