Question

How would you balance the following equation:
$N{H_3} + {H_2}S{O_4} \to {\left( {N{H_4}} \right)_2}S{O_4}$?

Answer 1

Hint:A balanced equation means the number of each atom on the right side of the arrow is equal to the number of each atom on the left side. One can divide or multiply by a factor in order to get the balanced chemical equation.

Complete step by step answer:1) First of all, as we know the meaning of a balanced chemical equation, we will analyze the atoms on both sides and see which molecule needs to change by a specific factor.
2) In the above chemical equation there are four types of atoms which are nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen. On the side of the reactants which is before the arrow, there is one nitrogen, five hydrogens, one sulfur, and four oxygen atoms present. Now on the product side of the equation which is after the arrow, there are two nitrogen, eight hydrogen, one sulfur, and four hydrogen atoms present.
3) Now if we analyze the number of atoms on both sides there is only a change in the number of atoms of nitrogen and hydrogen where the product number of atoms is exactly the double amount of the number of atoms present on the reactant side. Hence, we need to multiply the $N{H_3}$ molecule by factor two which makes the number of atoms on both sides equal.
4) Therefore, we can write the balanced chemical equation as below,
$2N{H_3} + {H_2}S{O_4} \to {\left( {N{H_4}} \right)_2}S{O_4}$
This is the balanced chemical equation obtained.

Note:
The above chemical reaction given is an acid-base neutralization where $N{H_3}$ is a base and ${H_2}S{O_4}$ is an acid. The product formed in this reaction is ammonium salt which is a neutralization product.