Question

In the balanced reaction below, what is the mole ratio comparing iron (Fe) and oxygen gas (O2)?

Answer 1

The balanced chemical equation representing the reaction of iron and oxygen is,

$4 Fe (s)+ 3O_{2}(g) --> 2 Fe_{2}O_{3} (s)$

The coefficients of each reactant and product represents the number of moles of each reactant or product that is required for the complete reaction to take place.

The mole ratio of iron and iron (III) oxide: $\frac{4 mol Fe}{2 mol Fe_{2}O_{3}}$ or $\frac{2 mol Fe_{2}O_{3}}{4 mol Fe}$

Mole ratio of oxygen to iron (III) oxide: $\frac{3 mol O_{2}}{2 mol Fe_{2}O_{3}}$ or $\frac{2 mol Fe_{2}O_{3}}{3 mol O_{2}}$

So, the mole ratio of iron (Fe) to oxygen gas is: 4 : 3

Therefore, the correct answer is d) 4:3

Answer 2

Mole ratio is the coefficients 4:3
4Fe + 3O2