Question
Question: Balance the following equation: \(KCl{O_3} + {H_2}S{O_4} \to KHS{O_4} + HCl{O_4} + Cl{O_2}\) ...
Balance the following equation:
KClO3+H2SO4→KHSO4+HClO4+ClO2
A.3KClO3+3H2SO4→3KHSO4+HClO4+2ClO2+H2O
B.KClO3+5H2SO4→3KHSO4+3HClO4+2ClO2+3H2O
C.3KClO3+4H2SO4→3KHSO4+2HClO4+2ClO2+H2O
D.Noneofthese
Solution
Hint: - For answering these types of questions we must count the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and in the products side.
Complete step-by-step answer:
The unbalanced equation given to us is
KClO3+H2SO4→KHSO4+HClO4+ClO2
Initially we will balance all the atoms excluding Hand O
⇒2KClO3+2H2SO4→2KHSO4+HClO4+ClO2
The number of oxidations of Cl increases from +5 to +7 and the increase in the number of atoms is 2, the number of oxidations of Cl increases from +5 to 4 and the increase in the number of atoms is 1 and the increase in the number of oxidations is offset by a decrease in the number of oxidations by multiplying KClO3 and ClO2 with 2.
Balancing K in the equation: -
⇒3KClO3+2H2SO4→2KHSO4+HClO4+2ClO2
Now we can see that O atoms are balanced by adding 1 water molecule on Right hand side.
⇒3KClO3+3H2SO4→3KHSO4+HClO4+2ClO2+H2O
After this we can observe that all the molecules are balanced. And our final equation comes out to be: -
⇒3KClO3+3H2SO4→3KHSO4+HClO4+2ClO2+H2O
Hence option A is the correct answer and the balanced equation of the given question is
3KClO3+3H2SO4→3KHSO4+HClO4+2ClO2+H2O
Note: For any chemical equation the reactant mass must be equal to the product mass. We have to count the number of atoms in the reactants of each element, and the number of atoms in the products of each element. If the equation isn't balanced, change the coefficients of the molecules on each side of the equation balance until the number of atoms in each element.