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How to balance this equation???!!!

Can someone please EXPLAIN HOW to balance the equation:

Fe + H2SO4 ---> Fe(SO4)2 + H2

The answer is apparently:

2Fe + 3H2SO4 ---> Fe(SO4)2 + 3H2

but I don't understand how to get that answer

Reply 1

peanutbutterjam

Original post by 1295084

Can someone please EXPLAIN HOW to balance the equation:

Fe + H2SO4 ---> Fe(SO4)2 + H2

The answer is apparently:

2Fe + 3H2SO4 ---> Fe(SO4)2 + 3H2

but I don't understand how to get that answer

I got Fe + 2H₂SO₄ ---> Fe(SO₄)₂ + 2H₂ :curious:

The "right" answer doesn't balance out on each side :/

Just make sure there are equal amounts of elements on each side...

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

JRM3PM

Original post by 1295084

Can someone please EXPLAIN HOW to balance the equation:

Fe + H2SO4 ---> Fe(SO4)2 + H2

The answer is apparently:

2Fe + 3H2SO4 ---> Fe(SO4)2 + 3H2

but I don't understand how to get that answer

I think your original equation might be wrong. Shouldn't it be Fe(II)SO4 or Fe(III)2(SO4)3 ? The "right" answer isn't right at least.

Anyway, for balancing, this is how I would do it:
The original compounds/elements should always stay the same (ie H2 will always be H2), you should only add numbers in front of every compound/element (ie 3H2).

I would then tally up the amount of elements on each side of the equation.
ie
Right side: 1Fe, 2H, 1SO4
Left side: 1Fe, 1H, 2SO4
Then, through trial and error, add a coefficient to each element/compound to try to make the left and right side match up.

Reply 3

1295084

Original post by peanutbutterjam

I got Fe + 2H₂SO₄ ---> Fe(SO₄)₂ + 2H₂ :curious:

The "right" answer doesn't balance out on each side :/

Just make sure there are equal amounts of elements on each side...

Yep I got the same same answer as you. I think the "answer" is wrong

Reply 4

JRM3PM

Original post by 1295084

Yep I got the same same answer as you. I think the "answer" is wrong

I still don't think that the original formula is correct. Fe(II) is 2+ and Fe(III) is 3+. SO4 is 2-. So surely it should be either Fe(II)SO4 or Fe(III)2(SO4)3

Reply 5

HAnwar

Your equation isn't right.

First you need to find out what charge the Fe ion is.

If it is Fe2+ ion, the equation will be:

Fe+H2SO4-> FeSO4+H2

If it is Fe3+ ion, the equation is:

2Fe+3H2SO4 -> Fe2(SO4)3+3H2

Reply 6

vis break