Questions: What is the correct picture of the missing reactant to make a balanced equation?
2 Fe + [?] Cl2 → 2 FeCl3
Transcript text: What is the correct picture of the missing reactant to make a balanced equation?
$2 \mathrm{Fe}+[?] \mathrm{Cl}_{2} \rightarrow 2 \mathrm{FeCl}_{3}$
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Analyze the given chemical equation
The given chemical equation is:
2Fe + [?]Cl2 → 2FeCl3
This represents the reaction between iron (Fe) and chlorine (Cl2) to produce iron(III) chloride (FeCl3). We need to determine the correct coefficient for Cl2 to balance the equation.
Step 2: Balance the chlorine atoms
On the product side, we have 2FeCl3, meaning there are 2 * 3 = 6 chlorine atoms.
To balance this, we need 6 chlorine atoms on the reactant side. Since chlorine gas exists as diatomic molecules (Cl2), we need 6 / 2 = 3 Cl2 molecules.
Step 3: Determine the correct picture
The correct picture representing 3Cl2 molecules should show three pairs of joined black circles (representing chlorine atoms). This corresponds to the middle image option.
Final Answer: The middle image, showing three Cl2 molecules.