Select the imbalanced chemical equation from the following.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. 6 HClO4 + P4O10 → 4 H3PO4 + 6 Cl2O7.
The imbalanced chemical equation among the given options is:
6 HClO₄ + P₄O₁₀ → 4 H₃PO₄ + 6 Cl₂O₇
On checking the number of atoms on both sides:
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Hydrogen (H): Left = 6, Right = 12 → Not balanced
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Chlorine (Cl): Left = 6, Right = 12 → Not balanced
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Oxygen (O): Left = 34, Right = 34 → Oxygen is balanced, but others are not.
All the other equations are balanced, with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides.
This illustrates the importance of verifying stoichiometry to ensure chemical equations are correctly balanced.