Question

Tin was among the first metals used by humans. Elemental tin is produced by heating tin(IV) oxide, the principal ore of tin, with carbon. The products of this reaction are tin and carbon dioxide. When the equation is written and balanced, what is the coefficient of carbon?a. 1b. 2c. 3d. 4

Answer 1

Answer: The coefficient of carbon in the chemical reaction is 1.

Explanation:

A balanced chemical equation is defined as the equation in which total number of individual atoms on the reactant side is equal to the total number of individual atoms on product side.

Law of conservation of mass states that mass can neither be created nor be destroyed but it can only be transformed from one form to another form.

The chemical equation for the reaction of tin (IV) oxide and carbon follows:

$SnO_2+C\rightarrow Sn+CO_2$

By Stoichiometry of the reaction:

1 mole of tin (IV) oxide reacts with carbon to produce 1 mole of elemental tin and carbon dioxide.

Hence, the coefficient of carbon in the chemical reaction is 1.