How to balance the equation of C4H9OH + O2 >CO2 + H2O ?
The point of balancing an equation is to get the same number of each atom on each side. What I usually do (especially when there is water and oxygen) is balance the non oxygen and hydrogen atoms first. So you have 4 Carbon on the left side, and only one on the right. So you multiply the molecule containing Carbon on the right (CO2) by 4 to balance the carbons. Now you equation looks like this: C4H9OH + O2 –> 4 CO2 + H2O Now count the number of Hydrogens. You have 10 on the left side and 2 on the right side. Because the molecule containing the Hydrogen on the right has 2 hydrogen atoms, you only have to multiply by 5. Now your equation looks like this: C4H9OH + O2 –> 4 CO2 + 5 H2O Now count the Oxygens. You have 3 on the left side, and 13 on the right side. You need 10 more on the left side. So add 5 more molecules of O2, giving you 6 in all. Your balanced equation: C4H9OH + 6 O2 –> 4 CO2 + 5 H2O Now you can go back through and make sure you have the same number of each on each side.