I had (and still have) a hard time balancing this equation. Please, is there any quick and easy way to balance these types of reactions? I tried applying the redox principles but there are also organic molecules (ethanol and ethanoic acid) which I dont know how to deal with.
This is what I have found as a method they use to solve the BMAT balancing equations!
Basically, you have to split the equation into equations for every single ELEMENT. You use the constants given in the original equation and if an element occurs more times in a molecule, then you must multiply it with the stoichiometric constant in front of the molecule (ex. aK2SO4, for K: 2a). Then you use substitution to find the desired stoichiometric constant.
The only rule is that you can substitute only 1 equation into another, cannot put 2 different equations into one because then you get wrong answers.
Hi!
well i personally don’t have a quick way to handle these types of question but there’s a way which i use with these questions.
write all individual atoms from the reactant(L.H.S) and the product side(R.H.S) and try to balance them individually start with atoms other than H and oxygen.
Look at the quantity of Potassium atoms on each side. From this we get that 4 on the left is met by 2 on the right, therefore b = 2. From the number of sulphur atoms we see there is 1 on the left, and 6 on the right, so a = 6.
Now, let’s balance the H atoms we have a total of 42H atoms on the L.H.S or the reactant side and 20H in CH3CO2H molecule on the product side so we are short by 22H atoms so if we put c=11 then the no. of H will be balanced on both sides.
at the end check for O atoms whether it’s balanced or not.
I go by this method and leave balancing questions for the end as they are pretty time consuming, if anyone has a quick way please help out.
hope it’s useful.
Thank you very much for that!! I was actually thinking of using the same method as I learned it at school, but its quite time consuming:D I will let you know if I find any other quicker method, but thanks anyway!
@DariusDuhan Thank you so much for this it helps.
I have one question will we be able to use this method in questions involving ions and redox reactions as i find them pretty difficult to balance and are pretty time consuming.
I would say yes, because this one is a redox reaction itself;) Mn is getting reduced and ethanol is oxidised into ethanoic acid. However, for the redox reactions in acidic/basic mediums, I would suggest Ari’s method (there’s a lesson on it)
