Which coefficients would balance this chemical equation? K + Cl2 ---> KCl
Understand the Problem
The question is asking which coefficients balance the given chemical equation involving potassium (K) and chlorine (Cl2) to form potassium chloride (KCl). This is a standard problem in chemistry where one needs to apply the law of conservation of mass to balance a chemical reaction.
Answer
The balanced coefficients are \(2, 1, 2\).
Answer for screen readers
The coefficients that balance the chemical equation are (2, 1, 2).
Steps to Solve
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Write the unbalanced equation
The unbalanced chemical equation is:
$$ \text{K} + \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow \text{KCl} $$ -
Identify the number of atoms for each element
List the number of atoms for each element on both sides:
- Reactants:
- K: 1
- Cl: 2 (from Cl₂)
- Products:
- K: 1
- Cl: 1 (from KCl)
-
Balance the chlorine atoms
Since there are 2 chlorine atoms in the reactants and only 1 in the products, we need 2 KCl to balance that:
$$ \text{K} + \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{KCl} $$ -
Balance the potassium atoms
Now we have 2 potassium atoms in the products, which means we also need 2 potassium atoms in the reactants:
$$ 2 \text{K} + \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{KCl} $$ -
Final balanced equation
The final balanced equation is:
$$ 2 \text{K} + \text{Cl}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{KCl} $$ -
Translate to coefficients
The coefficients for each compound are:
- K: 2
- Cl₂: 1
- KCl: 2
Thus, the coefficients that balance the equation are:
$$ 2, 1, 2 $$
The coefficients that balance the chemical equation are (2, 1, 2).
More Information
Balancing chemical equations ensures that the law of conservation of mass is satisfied, meaning the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products. This type of problem is common in chemistry, especially in stoichiometry.
Tips
- Forgetting to check all elements: Always ensure each type of atom is balanced.
- Incorrectly applying coefficients: Misplacing coefficients can lead to unbalanced equations.
- Balancing by changing subscripts: Only coefficients can change, never the chemical formulas themselves.
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