Balance the reaction: Fe2O3 + CO → Fe + CO2

By Ritesh|Updated : November 4th, 2022

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The balanced equation is Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2. Step to balance this Fe2O3 + CO → Fe + CO2 equation:

Step 1: Consider the given equation:

Fe2O3 + CO → Fe + CO2

Step 2: The procedure used to balance the equation:

Utilising the standard approach for balancing chemical equations. In line with the method:

To start, add up all the atoms of each element on both the reactant and product sides.
Molecules containing an element with a distinct number of atoms on the reactant side and the product side should be given stoichiometric coefficients.
The number of atoms on either side must be balanced by the coefficient.
Typically, the hydrogen and oxygen stoichiometric coefficients are assigned last.
The stoichiometric coefficient must be multiplied by the total number of atoms of an element present in 1 molecule of the species to determine the number of atoms in one species.
Continue doing this until both the reactant and product sides have the same number of all the atoms of the reacting components.

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Step 3: Achieving equation balance:

The equation is as follows: Fe2O3 + CO → Fe + CO2

Reactant side:

2 Iron atoms
1 Carbon atom
4 Oxygen atoms

Product side:

1 Iron atom
1 Carbon atom
2 Oxygen atoms

The iron atoms are balanced first. After being balanced, the equation is: Fe2O3 + CO → 2Fe + CO2. The oxygen atoms are then evenly distributed. After balancing the equation becomes: Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2. The Carbon atoms are balanced. The revised equation is: Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2

Reactant side:

2 Iron atoms
3 Carbon atom
6 Oxygen atoms

Product side:

2 Iron atom
3 Carbon atom
6 Oxygen atoms

The equation is balanced because there are an equal number of all the atoms of the reacting components on both the reactant and product sides. Hence the we can write balanced equation as: Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2

Summary: