1. Identify the Reactants and Products:
* Reactants: Zinc (Zn) and Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
* Products: Zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) and Hydrogen gas (H₂)
2. Count Atoms on Each Side:
* Zn: 1 on the left, 1 on the right
* H: 1 on the left, 2 on the right
* Cl: 1 on the left, 2 on the right
3. Balance the Equation:
* Balance Chlorine (Cl): Place a coefficient of 2 in front of HCl: Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl₂ + H₂
* Balance Hydrogen (H): Now the hydrogen is automatically balanced.
4. Final Balanced Equation:
Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl₂ + H₂
Explanation:
This equation represents a single displacement reaction where zinc (Zn) is more reactive than hydrogen (H), so it displaces hydrogen from hydrochloric acid (HCl) to form zinc chloride (ZnCl₂) and hydrogen gas (H₂).
