Here's how to balance the chemical equation for the reaction of methane (CH₄) and chlorine (Cl₂) to produce carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and hydrogen chloride (HCl):

1. Write the unbalanced equation:

CH₄ + Cl₂ → CCl₄ + HCl

2. Balance the carbon atoms:

There is one carbon atom on each side, so carbon is already balanced.

3. Balance the chlorine atoms:

There are two chlorine atoms on the reactant side and five on the product side. To balance, put a coefficient of 4 in front of Cl₂ and 4 in front of HCl.

CH₄ + 4Cl₂ → CCl₄ + 4HCl

4. Balance the hydrogen atoms:

There are four hydrogen atoms on each side, so hydrogen is also balanced.

5. Check the final balanced equation:

CH₄ + 4Cl₂ → CCl₄ + 4HCl

Explanation:

This equation now shows that one molecule of methane reacts with four molecules of chlorine to produce one molecule of carbon tetrachloride and four molecules of hydrogen chloride. The number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation, making it balanced.