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Question: How do you balance \(Co{(OH)_3} + HN{O_3} \to Co{(N{O_3})_3} + {H_2}O\)?...

How do you balance Co(OH)3+HNO3→Co(NO3)3+H2OCo{(OH)_3} + HN{O_3} \to Co{(N{O_3})_3} + {H_2}O?

Explanation

Solution

We all know that we can balance a chemical equation by simply adding stoichiometric coefficients to the reactant and the products and we are also aware with the law of conservation of mass and constant proportions.
Complete solution:
As we know that any chemical equation can be balanced by simply adding the stoichiometric coefficients to the reactants as well as to the products because we know that a chemical equation actually obeys the law of conservation of mass and law of constant proportions where the same number of atoms of a particular elements must exist on the reactant and products sides.
Now talking about the given chemical equation which is shown below:
Co(OH)3+HNO3→Co(NO3)3+H2OCo{(OH)_3} + HN{O_3} \to Co{(N{O_3})_3} + {H_2}O
As we can see in the given equation that cobalt is equal on the reactant and product side but when we see nitrogen, only one nitrogen is present on the reactant side in the nitric acid whereas on the product side three nitrogen atoms are present in cobalt nitrate. So, we can add 33 as a stoichiometric coefficient on the reactant side of the equation to balance the number of nitrogen atoms. Thus, we will get:
Co(OH)3+3HNO3→Co(NO3)3+H2OCo{(OH)_3} + 3HN{O_3} \to Co{(N{O_3})_3} + {H_2}O
Now, let us talk about the hydrogen atoms, there are a total of 66hydrogen on the reactant side and 22 on the product side. So we can add 33as a stoichiometric coefficient before water to balance the number of hydrogen atoms and after adding we will get:
Co(OH)3+3HNO3→Co(NO3)3+3H2OCo{(OH)_3} + 3HN{O_3} \to Co{(N{O_3})_3} + 3{H_2}O
Lastly, we will take oxygen into consideration and we can see that after adding other atoms, we got 1212 oxygen each on the reactant and the product side.
Therefore, our balanced chemical equation would be:
Co(OH)3+3HNO3→Co(NO3)3+3H2OCo{(OH)_3} + 3HN{O_3} \to Co{(N{O_3})_3} + 3{H_2}O

Note: Always remember that for balancing a chemical equation, count the number of atoms on the right hand side and the left hand side and then equalise the number of atoms accordingly to obtain a balanced equation. The stoichiometric coefficients generally balances the number of atoms on each side and are generally first assigned to chief atoms and lastly to hydrogen and oxygen atoms respectively.