How to Balance the Equation CO2 H2O C6H12O6 H2O O2 Using the ABCD Method

The ABCD method is a systematic approach to balancing chemical equations, ensuring each side of the equation has the same number of atoms. This method stands for Assign, Balance, Count, and Double-check. Let's apply it to the equation:

Unbalanced Reaction

CO2 H2O → C6H12O6 H2O O2

Step 1: Assign

Identify the number of each type of atom in the reactants and products.

Reactants:

Carbon (C): 1 from CO2 Hydrogen (H): 2 from H2O Oxygen (O): 3 (2 from CO2, 1 from H2O)

Products:

Carbon (C): 6 from C6H12O6 Hydrogen (H): 12 from C6H12O6 Oxygen (O): 8 (6 from C6H12O6, 1 from H2O, 2 from H2O2)

Step 2: Balance

We start by balancing the equation by adjusting the coefficients of the compounds.

Balance Carbon

Since there are 6 carbons in glucose (C6H12O6), we need 6 CO2.

Equation: 6 CO2 H2O → C6H12O6 H2O O2

Balance Hydrogen

There are 12 hydrogens in glucose (C6H12O6). To get 12 H in the products, we need 6 H2O.

Equation: 6 CO2 6 H2O → C6H12O6 H2O O2

Balance Oxygen

Now count the oxygen atoms:

Reactants: 6 from CO2 and 6 from H2O (12 in total) Products: 6 from C6H12O6, 1 from H2O, and 2 from O2 (but we have to find x where 2x 5 from O2)

Let's find x:

6 6 - 1 - 2x 12 - 2x

2x 11 implies x 5.5

Since we cannot have half molecules, we multiply everything by 2 to eliminate the fraction:

Final Equation: 12 CO2 12 H2O → 2 C6H12O6 6 H2O 11 O2

Step 3: Count

Let's count the atoms again for verification:

Reactants:

Carbon (C): 12 (6 from 12 CO2 x 2) Hydrogen (H): 24 (12 from 12 H2O x 2) Oxygen (O): 24 (12 from 12 CO2 x 2, 12 from 12 H2O)

Products:

Carbon (C): 12 from 2 C6H12O6 Hydrogen (H): 24 from 2 C6H12O6 6 H2O Oxygen (O): 24 (12 from 2 C6H12O6, 6 from 6 H2O, 22 from 11 O2)

Step 4: Double-check

Confirm that both sides have equal numbers of each atom.

Final Balanced Equation: boxed{12 CO2 12 H2O → 2 C6H12O6 6 H2O 11 O2}

This is the balanced equation using the ABCD method!