1. Write the Unbalanced Equation:
Al + CuCl₂ → AlCl₃ + Cu
2. Balance the Metals:
* There's one Al atom on each side, so aluminum is balanced.
* There's one Cu atom on each side, so copper is balanced.
3. Balance the Nonmetals:
* There are two Cl atoms on the left side (in CuCl₂) and three Cl atoms on the right side (in AlCl₃).
4. Adjust Coefficients:
* To balance the chlorine, we need a coefficient of 2 in front of AlCl₃ and a coefficient of 3 in front of CuCl₂:
2 Al + 3 CuCl₂ → 2 AlCl₃ + 3 Cu
5. Recheck the Balance:
* 2 Al atoms on each side
* 3 Cu atoms on each side
* 6 Cl atoms on each side
The balanced equation is:
2 Al + 3 CuCl₂ → 2 AlCl₃ + 3 Cu