more science help!?

Question

Balance the following equation:
_MnO2 + _HCl --> _MnCl2 + _Cl2 + _H2O
What is the coefficant of HCl?
1
2
3
4

i dont knwo how to do this!

Answer 1

I don't know what coefficient is. Search for it on Google if you don't know, it's not in my syllabus.

What I find is an easy way to balance equations (I used to find them difficult too) is to write them out literally. For this equation that would be

MnOO + HCl -->MnClCl + ClCl + HHO

That makes it much easier to see how much of each element there is on each side. When you're balancing it, add more molecules underneath it, eg.

MnOO + HCl -->MnClCl + ClCl + HHO
---------------------------------------------HHO
To balance out the 2 oxygens on the left. But now you have 4 Hs on the right, so you need to add to the HCl.

I don't know whether I'm explaining this very well, but it's a good method.

Answer 2

Going by the hit and try method (there are others like the step by step method, the half cell method etc)

Try balancing Cl first... The right has 4 Cl. So if you put 4 in HCl on the left, you would need to balance H2O on the right with a 2 multiplier. This means that O would have to be 2 on the left...which it already is. Also, Mn needs to be 1 on both sides and that is true too

So, 4HCl is on the reactant side

Answer 3

4

I was taught to start with the heaviest atoms, then work my way down the periodic table. So, start with manganese. There's one on each side, so Mn is already balanced.

Then, go to chlorine. 4 chlorines in products, only 1 Cl in reactants. So, make HCl ---> 4 HCl. Now, Cl and Mn are balanced.

Go to oxygen. 2 oxygens in reactants, only 1 oxygen in products. So, make H2O ---> 2 H2O. Now, O, Cl, and Mn are all balanced.

Finally, hydrogen: 4 hydrogens for reactants (4 HCl), 4 hydrogens for products (2 H2O).

Thus, your balanced equation is:
MnO2 + 4 HCl ---> MnCl2 + Cl2 + 2 H2O,

and the answer to your question is 4.

Answer 4

MnO2 + 4 HCl -> MnCl2 + Cl2 + 2 H2O

Answer 5

just google "balancing chemical equations" and follow the simple instructions... there's not much point in asking someone else to do it for you when you could understand it completely for yourself in a short amount of time. you'll feel really great when you can solve them for yourself... perhaps then you can show others how to do it. start with the most basic equations, work your way up the difficulty levels, and soon you'll be able to balance any equation