1. The Unbalanced Equation:

* Ethylcyclohexane (C8H16) reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).

C8H16 + O2 → CO2 + H2O

2. Balancing the Carbon Atoms:

* There are 8 carbon atoms on the left (in ethylcyclohexane) and 1 on the right (in CO2). Multiply CO2 by 8:

C8H16 + O2 → 8CO2 + H2O

3. Balancing the Hydrogen Atoms:

* There are 16 hydrogen atoms on the left and 2 on the right. Multiply H2O by 8:

C8H16 + O2 → 8CO2 + 8H2O

4. Balancing the Oxygen Atoms:

* There are 2 oxygen atoms on the left and 24 on the right (16 from CO2 and 8 from H2O). Multiply O2 by 12:

C8H16 + 12O2 → 8CO2 + 8H2O

The Balanced Equation:

The balanced equation for the combustion of ethylcyclohexane is:

C8H16 + 12O2 → 8CO2 + 8H2O