Question

balance the following equation:

_al₂o₃→_al + ___o₂

when the equation is properly balanced, the correct coefficients are, respectively

Explanation:

Step1: Balance oxygen atoms

The least - common multiple of 3 (from \(Al_2O_3\)) and 2 (from \(O_2\)) is 6. So, we put a 2 in front of \(Al_2O_3\) and a 3 in front of \(O_2\). The equation becomes \(2Al_2O_3
ightarrow Al + 3O_2\).

Step2: Balance aluminum atoms

Since there are \(2\times2 = 4\) aluminum atoms on the left - hand side (from \(2Al_2O_3\)), we put a 4 in front of \(Al\) on the right - hand side. The balanced equation is \(2Al_2O_3
ightarrow4Al + 3O_2\).

Answer:

2, 4, 3