How do I Balance the Combustion Equation for Butane (C₄H₁₀) C₄H₁₀ + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O?
To balance the combustion equation for butane (C₄H₁₀), follow these steps:
Step 1: Write the unbalanced equation
C₄H₁₀ + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O
Step 2: Balance carbon atoms
Since there are 4 carbon atoms on the left, multiply CO₂ by 4:
C₄H₁₀ + O₂ → 4CO₂ + H₂O
Step 3: Balance hydrogen atoms
Since there are 10 hydrogen atoms on the left, multiply H₂O by 5:
C₄H₁₀ + O₂ → 4CO₂ + 5H₂O
Step 4: Balance oxygen atoms
Count the oxygen atoms on the right: 4 CO₂ molecules have 8 oxygen atoms, and 5 H₂O molecules have 5 oxygen atoms, totaling 13 oxygen atoms. Multiply O₂ by 6.5 (or 13/2) to balance:
C₄H₁₀ + 6.5O₂ → 4CO₂ + 5H₂O
Step 5: Avoid fractional coefficients (optional)
To avoid fractions, multiply the entire equation by 2:
2C₄H₁₀ + 13O₂ → 8CO₂ + 10H₂O
The balanced equation is: 2C₄H₁₀ + 13O₂ → 8CO₂ + 10H₂O