2 C₈H₁₈ + 25 O₂ → 16 CO₂ + 18 H₂O
Here's what the equation represents:
* C₈H₁₈: Octane, the fuel being burned.
* O₂: Oxygen gas, the oxidizer.
* CO₂: Carbon dioxide, a product of combustion.
* H₂O: Water, another product of combustion.
Explanation of Balancing:
* Carbon (C): There are 8 carbon atoms on the left side (2 x 8 = 16) and 16 carbon atoms on the right side (16 x 1 = 16).
* Hydrogen (H): There are 18 hydrogen atoms on the left side (2 x 18 = 36) and 18 hydrogen atoms on the right side (18 x 2 = 36).
* Oxygen (O): There are 50 oxygen atoms on the right side (25 x 2 = 50) and 50 oxygen atoms on the left side (16 x 2 + 18 x 1 = 50).
The equation is balanced because the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
