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Multiple Choice
What are the balanced coefficients for the reaction C4H6(g) + O2(g) → CO2(g) + H2O(g)?
A
2, 11, 8, 6
B
2, 7, 4, 6
C
1, 5, 4, 3
D
4, 13, 8, 10
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the number of each type of atom in the reactants and products. For C4H6, there are 4 carbon atoms and 6 hydrogen atoms. For O2, there are 2 oxygen atoms per molecule.
Write the unbalanced chemical equation: C4H6(g) + O2(g) → CO2(g) + H2O(g).
Balance the carbon atoms first. Since there are 4 carbon atoms in C4H6, you need 4 CO2 molecules to balance the carbon atoms: C4H6(g) + O2(g) → 4CO2(g) + H2O(g).
Next, balance the hydrogen atoms. There are 6 hydrogen atoms in C4H6, so you need 3 H2O molecules to balance the hydrogen atoms: C4H6(g) + O2(g) → 4CO2(g) + 3H2O(g).
Finally, balance the oxygen atoms. There are 8 oxygen atoms in 4CO2 and 3 oxygen atoms in 3H2O, totaling 11 oxygen atoms needed. Therefore, you need 11/2 O2 molecules, which means multiplying the entire equation by 2 to get whole numbers: 2C4H6(g) + 11O2(g) → 8CO2(g) + 6H2O(g).