Question

Complete the following reactions(balance each equation and name the product

$\underset{\mathrm{Sulphur}}{\mathrm{S}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to$

Answer 1

Balancing of a chemical equation:

• Balancing chemical equations involves the addition of stoichiometric coefficients to the reactants and products.
• This is important because a chemical equation must obey the law of conservation of mass and the law of constant proportions, i.e. the same number of atoms of each element must exist on the reactant side and the product side of the equation.

Complete equation :

• $\underset{\mathrm{Sulphur}}{\mathrm{S}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Sulphur}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{SO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$

Steps to be followed in order to balance a chemical equation:

• First, check if the chemical equation is a balanced or unbalanced chemical equation.
• $\underset{\mathrm{Sulphur}}{\mathrm{S}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Sulphur}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{SO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$
• In the above reaction, calculate the total number of atoms of each element on the reactant side and the product side.

Element	Reactant Side	Product side
Sulphur($\mathrm{S}$)	1	1
Oxygen($\mathrm{O}$)	2	2

• The number of atoms of Sulphur and Oxygen is the same on both sides.
• The Law of conservation of mass is followed and hence, the above chemical equation is balanced.