Skill 3-6: Octane (C8 H 18) burns to form carbon dioxide and water vapor. Write a balanced equation for this reaction.
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Balance the atoms.
Start with the more complex reactant, C 8H 18 , then balance O 2:
8 C on left requires 8 CO2 on right:
Solution: Translate the statement into a skeleton equation (with coefficient blanks). Octane and oxygen are reactants; oxygen is molecular O 2 . Carbon dioxide and water vapor are products:
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