Which numbers balance this equation: 2Cu₂S + __O₂ ⟶ ___Cu₂O + 2SO₂

3, 2
2, 3
3, 3
4, 2

1 answer

To balance the equation \( 2Cu₂S + __O₂ \rightarrow __Cu₂O + 2SO₂ \), we need to ensure that we have the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.

Let's break it down step by step:

  1. Count the elements in the reactants and products.

    • Reactants:

      • Copper (Cu): \(2 \times 2 = 4\) (from \(2Cu₂S\))
      • Sulfur (S): \(2 \times 1 = 2\) (from \(2Cu₂S\))
      • Oxygen (O): Let's denote the coefficient of \(O₂\) as \(x\): \(2x\) (from \(O₂\))
    • Products:

      • Copper (Cu): \(x\) (from \(Cu₂O\))
      • Sulfur (S): \(2\) (from \(2SO₂\))
      • Oxygen (O): \(x + 4\) (from \(Cu₂O\) and \(2SO₂\), which gives \(2+4 = 6\))
  2. Set up the equations based on what's balanced.

    • From \(Cu\), we need \(4\) on the product side, so \(x = 2\).
    • For Oxygen: The reactants \(2x = 2 \times 2 = 4\) and product \(2 + 4 = 6\). This means the \(O\) in the product side counts for both \(Cu₂O\) and \(SO₂\).
  3. Re-evaluate based on Chemistry:

    • We reanalyze if we can balance each reaction actual numbers of Cu, S, and O.

After finding the coefficients for \(O_2\):

The balanced equation would be:

\[ 2Cu₂S + 3O₂ \rightarrow 4Cu₂O + 2SO₂ \]

So the correct coefficients for \(O_2\) and \(Cu₂O\) are \(3\) and \(4\) respectively. Hence the answer is:

3, 4.

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