Write a balanced equation for the combustion of acetaldehyde, CH3 .When properly balanced, the equation indicates that ___ mole(s) of O2 are required for each mole of CH3CHO.Group of answer choices23612.5

The combustion of acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) can be represented by the following chemical equation:

CH3CHO + O2 → CO2 + H2O

To balance this equation, we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

Step 1: Balance the carbon atoms. There is 1 carbon atom in CH3CHO and 1 carbon atom in CO2, so the carbon atoms are already balanced.

Step 2: Balance the hydrogen atoms. There are 4 hydrogen atoms in CH3CHO and 2 hydrogen atoms in H2O. To balance the hydrogen atoms, we need to put a coefficient of 2 in front of H2O:

CH3CHO + O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

Step 3: Balance the oxygen atoms. There are 2 oxygen atoms in CH3CHO, 2 oxygen atoms in CO2, and 2*1=2 oxygen atoms in 2H2O, for a total of 4 oxygen atoms on the right side of the equation. To balance the oxygen atoms, we need to put a coefficient of 3/2 in front of O2:

CH3CHO + 3/2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

However, it is more common to use whole numbers in chemical equations. To get rid of the fraction, we can multiply all coefficients by 2:

2CH3CHO + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 4H2O

So, the balanced equation for the combustion of acetaldehyde is:

2CH3CHO + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 4H2O

This indicates that 3 moles of O2 are required for each 2 moles of CH3CHO, or equivalently, 1.5 moles of O2 are required for each mole of CH3CHO.