Question

__N2O5+__H2O->__HNO3 What's the reaction?

Answer 1

Answer:

N₂O₅ + H₂O --> 2HNO₃

This reaction is a combination reaction

Explanation:

I find that making a table is an easy way to balance a table. The table would be something like this:

Reactants (left) Products (right)

N = 2 N = 1

O = 6 O = 3

H = 2 H = 1

The number next the symbol represents how many of atoms of that particular element are present.

The aim is to make the number of atoms of each element on the left side to be equal to the number of atoms of each element on the right side. As we can see, there are 1 more nitrogen than on the right, 3 more oxygen than on the right and 1 more hydrogen than on the left.

So to make the numbers of atoms of each element on right equal to the number of atoms of each element on the left, we have to add a number. This number CANNOT be a subscript number because that would change the reaction.

We can add a 2 in front of the product (this is because there are less atoms in the right side of the equation).

N₂O₅ + H₂O --> 2HNO₃

This means there are now two HNO₃ molecules so every atom in this molecule is basically multiplied by 2. So 1 nitrogen atom becomes two (1 × 2 = 2), 3 oxygen atoms become 6 (3 × 2 = 6) and 1 hydrogen atom becomes 2 (1 × 2 = 2). If we were to make a table again with the following equation - N₂O₅ + H₂O --> 2HNO₃, the table would be as so:

Reactants (left) Products (right)

N = 2 N = 2

O = 6 O = 6

H = 2 H = 2

Now the equation is balanced as we can see the number each type of atom is the same on the right and left side.