Question

How would you balance: $Al+F{{e}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}\to A{{l}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}+Fe$?

Answer 1

Hint: To balance the equation, multiply the atoms with a number which is called a coefficient.
The number of atoms in the right hand side and left hand side of the equation should be equal.


Complete step by step answer:
- In the question it is asked how we will balance the chemical equation that is given in the question. Before doing the solution part we should understand that what does balancing a chemical equation means and the steps involved in balancing of the equation.
- First let's discuss what does balancing the equation means, we know that when we write a chemical equation in the left side we will right the reactant side or say the reactants that are involved in the chemical combination which is followed by an arrow and above the arrow we may write the reaction conditions at which the reaction takes place and then in the left side we will write the products formed in the reaction and is called as the product side.
- A balanced equation refers to a chemical equation in which the number of atoms in the reactant side and the product side will be equal.
- So now let’s see the method of balancing the chemical equation through balancing the equation given above.
The equation given is, $Al+F{{e}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}\to A{{l}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}+Fe$
Here let’s see the number of atoms present in the left hand side i.e. the reactant side.
There is 1 Al atom, 2 Fe atoms and 3 oxygen atoms.
LHS:
$\text{Al=1}$
$\text{Fe=2}$
$\text{O=3}$
- Now let’s see the right hand side, the product side.
Here there are 2 Al atoms, 3 O atoms and 1 Fe atom.
RHS:
$\text{Al=2}$
$\text{Fe=1}$
$\text{O=3}$
- So by comparing the both sides we know that the Al and Fe atoms are unbalanced.
First let’s balance the Al atom, multiply the Al in the reactant side with 2, which balances the Al in equation.
$2Al+F{{e}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}\to A{{l}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}+Fe$
- Now we have to balance the Fe atom for that to multiply with 2 in the product side which yields a balanced chemical equation.
Therefore the balanced chemical equation is given as,
$2Al+F{{e}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}\to A{{l}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}+2Fe$

Note: While balancing a chemical equation we should first balance the metal atom in the equation and then go for balancing the non-metal atom present.
- And for balancing the equation, we should only change the coefficient of the chemical reaction, we should not change the subscript of the atoms present in the molecules since it changes the stoichiometry of the compound.