Question

remember: you cant change the formulas!
reactants
products
h
h
o
o
h₂ + o₂ → h₂o
4
2
1

Explanation:

Step1: Balance oxygen atoms

We have \(O_2\) (reactant, 2 oxygen atoms) and \(H_2O\) (product, 1 oxygen atom). To balance oxygen, we put a 2 in front of \(H_2O\). So the equation becomes \(H_2+O_2
ightarrow 2H_2O\).

Step2: Balance hydrogen atoms

Now, in \(2H_2O\) (product) there are 4 hydrogen atoms. In \(H_2\) (reactant) there are 2 hydrogen atoms. So we put a 2 in front of \(H_2\). The balanced equation is \(2H_2 + O_2
ightarrow 2H_2O\).

Answer:

The coefficients are \(2\) (for \(H_2\)), \(1\) (for \(O_2\)) and \(2\) (for \(H_2O\)). So the answer for the first blank ( \(H_2\)) is \(2\), the second blank (\(O_2\)) is \(1\) and the third blank (\(H_2O\)) is \(2\).