Question

Write the balanced chemical equation for the following.

Magnesium nitride is warmed with water.

Answer 1

Part 1: Balanced chemical equation

1. The chemical equation where the number of atoms on the reactants side is the same as the number of atoms on the product side is termed a balanced chemical equation.
2. Now, to balance the equation we need to follow some steps in order to correct the total number of atoms on both sides of the equation.

Part 2: Steps for balancing

Step 1: The unbalanced chemical equation is as follows:

1. When Magnesium nitride reacts with warmed water it forms Ammonia and Magnesium hydroxide.
2. Therefore, the chemical equation will be:
   $\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{nitride})}{{\mathrm{Mg}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to \underset{\left(\mathrm{Ammonia}\right)}{{\mathrm{NH}}_3\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{hydroxide})}{\mathrm{Mg}{\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$

Step 2: Calculating the number of atoms on the reactant side

1. In order to balance a chemical equation we first need to identify the total number of atoms on both sides i.e. reactant and product side.
2. On the reactant side: 3 atoms of Magnesium and 2 atoms of Nitrogen are present in${\mathbf{Mg}}_{\mathbf{3}}{\mathbf{N}}_{\mathbf{2}}$.
3. Similarly, 2 atoms of Hydrogen and 1 atoms of oxygen are present in ${\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{O}$.

Step 3: Balancing the Hydrogen on the reactant side by multiplying water molecules with 6.

1. The chemical reaction is as follows:
   $\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{nitride})}{{\mathrm{Mg}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+6{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to \underset{\left(\mathrm{Ammonia}\right)}{{\mathrm{NH}}_3\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{hydroxide})}{\mathrm{Mg}{\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$
2. By multiplying atoms by 6 we have 12 Hydrogen atoms and 6 Oxygen atoms on the reactant side and so we need to balance the product side as well.

Step 4: Calculating the number of atoms on the product side

1. On the product side: 1 atom of Nitrogen and 3 atoms of Hydrogen are present in ${\mathbf{NH}}_{\mathbf{3}}$.
2. Similarly, 1 atom of Magnesium, 2 atoms of oxygen, and 2 atoms of Hydrogen are present in $\mathbf{Mg}{\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{OH}\mathbf{\right)}}_{\mathbf{2}}$.

Step 5: Balancing the Nitrogen on the product side by multiplying it by 2 we get;

$\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{nitride})}{{\mathrm{Mg}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+6{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to \underset{\left(\mathrm{Ammonia}\right)}{2{\mathrm{NH}}_3\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{hydroxide})}{\mathrm{Mg}{\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$

Step 6: Balancing the Magnesium on the product side by multiplying it by 3 we get;

$\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{nitride})}{{\mathrm{Mg}}_3{\mathrm{N}}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+6{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to \underset{\left(\mathrm{Ammonia}\right)}{2{\mathrm{NH}}_3\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{(\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{hydroxide})}{3\mathrm{Mg}{\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)}_2\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$

In this way, we equalize both the sides of atoms and now the reactants are equal as products.

Thus, we get the balance chemical equation as follows:

$\underset{\mathbf{(}\mathbf{M}\mathbf{a}\mathbf{g}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{e}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{u}\mathbf{m}\mathbf{}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{t}\mathbf{r}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{d}\mathbf{e}\mathbf{)}}{\mathbf{M}{\mathbf{g}}_{\mathbf{3}}{\mathbf{N}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}}\mathbf{+}\mathbf{}\mathbf{6}{\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{O}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{l}\mathbf{\right)}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\to }\mathbf{}\mathbf{}\underset{\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{A}\mathbf{m}\mathbf{m}\mathbf{o}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{a}\mathbf{\right)}}{\mathbf{2}\mathbf{N}{\mathbf{H}}_{\mathbf{3}}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{g}\mathbf{\right)}}\mathbf{}\mathbf{+}\underset{\mathbf{(}\mathbf{M}\mathbf{a}\mathbf{g}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{e}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{u}\mathbf{m}\mathbf{}\mathbf{h}\mathbf{y}\mathbf{d}\mathbf{r}\mathbf{o}\mathbf{x}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{d}\mathbf{e}\mathbf{)}}{\mathbf{3}\mathbf{M}\mathbf{g}{\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{O}\mathbf{H}\mathbf{\right)}}_{\mathbf{2}}\mathbf{}\mathbf{\left(}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{\right)}}$