Question

Barium phosphate reacts with sulfuric acid to form barium sulfate and phosphoric acid. What is the coefficient for sulfuric acid when the equation is balanced using the lowest, whole-numbered coefficients

Answer 1

Answer:

3

Explanation:

From the question:

Barium phosphate reacts with sulfuric acid to form barium sulfate and phosphoric acid.

The equation for the above reaction can be written as follow:

Ba3(PO4)2 + H2SO4 —> BaSO4 + H3PO4

Now, let us balance the equation in order to obtain the coefficient of H2SO4. This is illustrated below below:

Ba3(PO4)2 + H2SO4 —> BaSO4 + H3PO4

There are 3 atoms of Ba on the left side of the equation and 1 atom on the right side. It can be balance by putting 3 in front of BaSO4 as shown below:

Ba3(PO4)2 + H2SO4 —> 3BaSO4 + H3PO4

There are 3 atoms of SO4 on the right side and 1 atom on the left side. It can be balance by putting 3 in front of H2SO4 as shown below:

Ba3(PO4)2 + 3H2SO4 —> 3BaSO4 + H3PO4

Now, we can see that there 6 atoms of H on the left side and 3 atoms on the right side. It can be balance by putting 2 in front of H3PO4 as shown below:

Ba3(PO4)2 + 3H2SO4 —> 3BaSO4 + 2H3PO4

Now the equation is balanced.

The coefficient of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) is 3