This chemical reaction is depicted: SnO2 + H2→Sn + H2O. What can be affirmed regarding this chemical reaction?

Question

A. It is balanced because the quantity of reactants matches the quantity of products.
B. It is unbalanced as the mass of the reactants is less than the mass of the products.
C. It is balanced as the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.
D. It is unbalanced due to the fact that the mass of the reactants exceeds the mass of the products.

Answer 1

To determine whether the chemical reaction represented by the equation SnO2 + H2 → Sn + H2O is balanced, we can analyze the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.

1. Count the atoms on the reactants side:

   • SnO2 contains 1 Sn and 2 O atoms.
   • H2 contains 2 H atoms.
   • Total: 1 Sn, 2 O, and 2 H.

2. Count the atoms on the products side:

   • Sn contains 1 Sn atom.
   • H2O contains 1 H and 1 O atom.
   • Total: 1 Sn, 1 O, and 2 H.

Now, let's compare the counts:

• Sn: 1 (Reactants) = 1 (Products)
• O: 2 (Reactants) ≠ 1 (Products)
• H: 2 (Reactants) = 2 (Products)

Since there is a discrepancy in the oxygen count (2 on the reactants side and only 1 on the products side), the equation is not balanced.

Based on this analysis, we can conclude that:

D. It is unbalanced due to the fact that the mass of the reactants exceeds the mass of the products.

However, this statement is a bit misleading because we should say that the number and type of atoms are not equal on both sides, leading to an imbalance. But in the context of the options given, D is the most accurate since the reaction does not obey the law of conservation of mass.