How do you balance the chemical equation CH4(g) + H2O(g) → CO(g) + H2(g)?

To balance the chemical equation, we need to ensure that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the equation.

Starting with the unbalanced equation:

CH4(g) + H2O(g) → CO(g) + H2(g)

1. **Count the number of atoms for each element** in the reactants and products:

  • Left side (Reactants):
    • C: 1 (from CH4)
    • H: 4 (from CH4) + 2 (from H2O) = 6
    • O: 1 (from H2O)
  • Right side (Products):
    • C: 1 (from CO)
    • H: 2 (from H2)
    • O: 1 (from CO)

2. **Balance the hydrogen atoms**. Currently, there are 6 hydrogen atoms on the left and 2 on the right. We can balance this by changing the coefficient of H2 on the right side to 3:

CH4(g) + H2O(g) → CO(g) + 3 H2(g)

3. **Count the atoms again:**

  • Left side:
    • C: 1
    • H: 4 + 2 = 6
    • O: 1
  • Right side:
    • C: 1
    • H: 6 (from 3 H2)
    • O: 1

4. **The equation is now balanced**, as we have the same number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms on both sides:

CH4(g) + H2O(g) → CO(g) + 3 H2(g)

In summary, the balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

CH4(g) + H2O(g) → CO(g) + 3 H2(g)

This approach guarantees that the law of conservation of mass is maintained, meaning the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.

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