Balance the following equation by choosing the correct coefficient for oxygen:2C2 + ____ O2 → 4CO2 + 6H2O

To balance the equation, we need to ensure that the number of each type of atom on the left side of the equation (reactants) is equal to the number of each type of atom on the right side of the equation (products).

Let's start with the carbon atoms. On the left side, we have 2 molecules of C2, which gives us a total of 4 carbon atoms. On the right side, we have 4 molecules of CO2, which also gives us a total of 4 carbon atoms. So, the carbon atoms are already balanced.

Next, let's look at the hydrogen atoms. There are no hydrogen atoms on the left side of the equation, but there are 12 hydrogen atoms on the right side (6 molecules of H2O, each with 2 hydrogen atoms). So, we need to add hydrogen to the left side of the equation. However, there is no hydrogen in the given equation, so it seems like there might be a mistake in the equation.

Finally, let's look at the oxygen atoms. On the right side, we have 8 oxygen atoms from the CO2 (4 molecules, each with 2 oxygen atoms) and 6 oxygen atoms from the H2O (6 molecules, each with 1 oxygen atom), giving us a total of 14 oxygen atoms. So, we need to have 14 oxygen atoms on the left side of the equation as well. Each molecule of O2 has 2 oxygen atoms, so we need 7 molecules of O2 on the left side of the equation.

So, the balanced equation should be: 2C2 + 7O2 → 4CO2 + 6H2O.