How do you balance equations for eqample C4H9+O2 -----> CO2+H2O the answer shoul

Question

How do you balance equations for eqample C4H9+O2 -----> CO2+H2O the answer should be 4C4H9 + 2502 -----> 16CO2 + 18H2O I need help understanding how this was balanced How do you balance equations for eqample C4H9+O2 -----> CO2+H2O the answer should be 4C4H9 + 2502 -----> 16CO2 + 18H2O I need help understanding how this was balanced

Explanation / Answer

Most combustion reactions are small numbers. C4H9 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O I see the H9 on the left and H2 on the right and I know I have aproblem right off the bat because there is no whole number I canmultiply by to get from 2 to 9. So right off the bat I multiplyC4H9 by 2 2C4H9 + O2 ==> CO2 + H2O Now with 18 H on the left I can balance H on the right. 2C4H9 + O2 ==> CO2 + 9H2O Now I can balance C. 2C4H9 + O2 ==>8CO2 + 9H2O Now I count the O I have on the right. That's 16 from CO2 and 9from H2O which makes 25, another odd number. Usually, what I do issay, ok, I need 25/2 O2 like this, 2C4H9 + (25/2)O2 ==> 8CO2 + 9H2O Then I multiply everything through by 2 to get rid of the half sothat 25/2 becomes 25. 4C4H9 + 25 O2 ==>16CO2 + 18H2O

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