consider the same reaction: 2 molecules of ethylene (c₂h₄) react with 1 molecule of oxygen (o₂) to produce…

consider the same reaction: 2 molecules of ethylene (c₂h₄) react with 1 molecule of oxygen (o₂) to produce some amount of acetaldehyde (c₂h₄o). use the number of atoms in the products to answer the question below. chemical element | number of atoms in reactants | number of atoms in products h | 8 | 8 c | 4 | 4 o | 2 | 2 during this reaction, how many molecules of acetaldehyde (c₂h₄o) are produced?

consider the same reaction: 2 molecules of ethylene (c₂h₄) react with 1 molecule of oxygen (o₂) to produce some amount of acetaldehyde (c₂h₄o). use the number of atoms in the products to answer the question below. chemical element | number of atoms in reactants | number of atoms in products h | 8 | 8 c | 4 | 4 o | 2 | 2 during this reaction, how many molecules of acetaldehyde (c₂h₄o) are produced?

Answer

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the atom - balance principle

In a chemical reaction, the number of atoms of each element in the reactants must equal the number of atoms of the same element in the products. For acetaldehyde ($C_2H_4O$), each molecule contains 2 carbon atoms, 4 hydrogen atoms, and 1 oxygen atom.

Step2: Consider the carbon - atom count

The total number of carbon atoms in the reactants is 4 (from 2 molecules of $C_2H_4$). Since each $C_2H_4O$ molecule has 2 carbon atoms, the number of $C_2H_4O$ molecules based on carbon - atom balance is $\frac{4}{2}=2$.

Step3: Consider the hydrogen - atom count

The total number of hydrogen atoms in the reactants is 8 (from 2 molecules of $C_2H_4$). Since each $C_2H_4O$ molecule has 4 hydrogen atoms, the number of $C_2H_4O$ molecules based on hydrogen - atom balance is $\frac{8}{4}=2$.

Step4: Consider the oxygen - atom count

The total number of oxygen atoms in the reactants is 2 (from 1 molecule of $O_2$). Since each $C_2H_4O$ molecule has 1 oxygen atom, the number of $C_2H_4O$ molecules based on oxygen - atom balance is $\frac{2}{1}=2$.

Answer:

2