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[Drew200]

Drew200

Science help? 0_o

My teacher is a horrible teacher, he tries to make everything quick so he doesn't have to work hard. Today he "taught" us about chemical reactions, and balancing crap.
I have no clue how to do this, so I'm hoping someone can explain this to me.

1. Classify each of the following reactions as synthesis, single displacement or double displacement reactions.
2. Balance each equation.

Question 2:
Al + Fe2 O3   ----> +Al2 O3 + Fe    ______________________
Apparently I have to balance the equation, and to balance it I did this:
Al2 + Fe2 O3   ----> +Al2 O3 + Fe2
I don't really know how to do tougher equations, if that is even right. :/
Also, how do you tell what is Synthesis, etc?

[Infinitus]

Infinitus

Re: Science help? 0_o

Al + Fe2 O3   ----> +Al2 O3 + Fe    ______________________
Apparently I have to balance the equation, and to balance it I did this:
Al2 + Fe2 O3   ----> +Al2 O3 + Fe2

Basically you need the same number of atoms on one side of the equation as you have on the other. (Matter can never be destroyed, just converted and all that jazz >.>)

For instance lets take your equation, by simple counting you can see that you have the following atoms on each side.

Left:
1x Al (Aluminium)
2x Fe (Iron)
3x O (Oxygen)

Right:
2x Al (Aluminium)
3x O (Oxygen)
1x Fe (Iron)

So to balance it we need to make it so we have the same amount coming in as going out, to do this we just need to get one extra aluminium atom which we do as follows;

Al2 + Fe2 O3   -> +Al2 O3 + Fe

And we need 1 extra iron atom on the right which we do as follows;

Al2 + Fe2 O3   -> +Al2 O3 + Fe2

Tada! The magic of equation solving >.>.

Anyway I'll explain synthsis and such in a sec, just need to get my pizza out of the oven. - Edit: Maybe not, 4Sword just posted.

[4Sword]

4Sword

Re: Science help? 0_o

It would be easier to understand if the subscripts were subscripts and when balancing it you put the coefficients in from of the chemical symbol or group.

If I remember right:
synthesis = when the equation yields basically the same thing as you started with, no group switched over
A + B → AB

single displacement = when one part of a chemical group breaks off and is replaced by the lone chemical element
A + BX → AX + B

double displacement = when both groups switch parts
AB + CD → AD + CB

[Drew200]

Drew200

Re: Science help? 0_o

Thanks guys, I don't have time to read it yet, but it looks very useful. I'll keep this page open till I have enough time to read it.
^__^