rktpro Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 [ce] 6CO2 + 7H2O -> C6H12O6 +6O2 + H2O[/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 12H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O [/ce] The first one is balanced by me and the second one is given in the book. Both seem correct, but is it possible to have variable balance when one balancing is not a factor of other, as in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzzwood Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 You can scratch the same amounts of water molecules to the left and right, leaving you with only 6 on the left side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rktpro Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 You can scratch the same amounts of water molecules to the left and right, leaving you with only 6 on the left side. I couldn't get you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainPanic Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 (edited) What Fuzzwood meant is: in the bottom reaction, you can remove 6 water from the left, and 6 from the right. Or, if you like you can remove only one H2O. Or two H2Os. Or three, or four, or five... up to a maximum of 6. [ce] 6CO2 + 12H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O [/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 11H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 5H2O [/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 10H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 4H2O [/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 9H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 3H2O [/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 8H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 2H2O [/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 7H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 1H2O [/ce] [ce] 6CO2 + 6H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2[/ce] In fact, if you want to add three million water (or any other number) to both sides, it still balances: [ce] 6CO2 + 3000006H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 3000000H2O [/ce] The most common way to describe photosynthesis though is this: [ce] 6CO2 + 6H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2[/ce] It is the most simple one, because the waters have been reduced to the net change. Edited May 13, 2011 by CaptainPanic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rktpro Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 CaptainPanic, Then this is possible for all other equations. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainPanic Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 You're right. You can always, in any equation (not just chemical, also mathematical) add stuff on both sides of the equation, although in many cases it will only make things more complicated or confusing. Very often, chemical reactions are simplified into their simplest form (remove the molecules from both sides as much as possible). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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