Balance the chemical equation below using the smallest possible whole number stoichiometric coefficients. FE2O3(s) Fe(s) O2(g)

2Fe₂O₃(s) → 4Fe(s) + 3O₂(g)

Explanation:

The unbalanced reaction is:

To balance the oxygen atoms, we put a 2 before Fe₂O₃ and a 3 before O₂(g) - so as to make the total of O atoms in both sides 6 -:

There are four Fe atoms on the left side and only one on the right side, so we put a 4 before Fe(s):

Now the equation is balanced: there is an equal number of both Fe and O atoms in both sides of the equation.

- "the choice that is not an indicator of a chemical change is "state of matter changes". more common than not, chemical reactions produce energy in the form of light or heat. along with energy, they also produce a new substance called the product that could be in any state of matter (solid, gas, or liquid)."