The chemical reaction below represents a  chemical reaction.C2H6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O

To analyze the given chemical reaction, we need to balance it and identify the reactants and products.

1. Break Down the Problem

The reaction provided is: $\text{C}_2\text{H}_6 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow \text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O}$ We have:

• Reactants: Ethane (C₂H₆) and Oxygen (O₂)
• Products: Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) and Water (H₂O)

2. Relevant Concepts

To balance the reaction, we will use the law of conservation of mass, which states that the number of atoms of each element must be the same on both sides of the equation.

3. Analysis and Detail

We start by identifying the number of each type of atom:

• On the left (Reactants):

  • Carbon (C): 2 from C₂H₆
  • Hydrogen (H): 6 from C₂H₆
  • Oxygen (O): 2 from O₂

• On the right (Products):

  • Carbon (C): 1 from CO₂
  • Hydrogen (H): 2 from H₂O
  • Oxygen (O): 3 total (2 from CO₂ and 1 from H₂O)

Now, we will balance the equation:

1. Carbon: We have 2 carbon atoms in C₂H₆, so we need 2 CO₂ on the product side: $\text{C}_2\text{H}_6 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O}$

2. Hydrogen: We have 6 hydrogen atoms in C₂H₆, so we need 3 H₂O on the product side: $\text{C}_2\text{H}_6 + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{CO}_2 + 3 \text{H}_2\text{O}$

3. Oxygen: Now let's count the oxygen atoms in the products. We have:

   • 2 CO₂: $2 \times 2 = 4$ O
   • 3 H₂O: $3 \times 1 = 3$ O
   • Total = 4 + 3 = 7 O

   On the reactant side, we have O₂, which contributes oxygen atoms as follows:

   • Let $x$ be the amount of O₂ we need, thus: $2x = 7 \implies x = \frac{7}{2} = 3.5$

   To avoid fractions, we can multiply all coefficients by 2: $2 \text{C}_2\text{H}_6 + 7 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 4 \text{CO}_2 + 6 \text{H}_2\text{O}$

4. Verify and Summarize

Let's verify:

• Left Side:

  • Carbon: $2 \times 2 = 4$
  • Hydrogen: $2 \times 6 = 12$
  • Oxygen: $7 \times 2 = 14$

• Right Side:

  • Carbon: $4$
  • Hydrogen: $6 \times 2 = 12$
  • Oxygen: $4 \times 2 + 6 \times 1 = 8 + 6 = 14$

Both sides match.

Final Answer

The balanced chemical equation is: $2 \text{C}_2\text{H}_6 + 7 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 4 \text{CO}_2 + 6 \text{H}_2\text{O}$