Select the correct answer.
This chemical equation is not balanced:
[tex]$\operatorname{AgBr}(s) \rightarrow Ag(s)+Br_2(g)$[/tex]
Why isn't it possible for the reaction to occur as indicated by the unbalanced equation?
A. There are more substances on the right side of the equation than on the left side.
B. There is a gas on the right side of the equation but not on the left side.
C. The bromine atoms must go through a liquid state before becoming a gas
D. There is more mass represented on the right side of the equation than on the left side.
E. The bromine atoms on the right side of the equation are not bonded to another element.
Answer (1)
The chemical equation is unbalanced.
The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed.
An unbalanced equation violates the law of conservation of mass.
Therefore, the correct answer is D: There is more mass represented on the right side of the equation than on the left side. $\boxed{D}
Explanation
Analyzing the Options The given chemical equation is: A g B r ( s ) → A g ( s ) + B r 2 ( g ) We need to determine why this unbalanced equation is not possible. Let's analyze each option:
A. There are more substances on the right side of the equation than on the left side. This statement is true; however, it doesn't explain why the reaction can't occur as written. The number of 'substances' doesn't dictate the feasibility of a reaction.
B. There is a gas on the right side of the equation but not on the left side. The presence of a gas on one side and not the other doesn't inherently make the reaction impossible.
C. The bromine atoms must go through a liquid state before becoming a gas. This is not necessarily true and doesn't explain why the equation is unbalanced.
D. There is more mass represented on the right side of the equation than on the left side. This is the correct answer. In a balanced chemical equation, the mass must be conserved. If the equation is unbalanced, it implies that mass is not conserved, which violates the law of conservation of mass.
E. The bromine atoms on the right side of the equation are not bonded to another element. This is true, but it doesn't explain why the equation is unbalanced. Bromine exists as B r 2 on the right side, which is elemental bromine.
To elaborate on option D, let's count the atoms of each element on both sides:
Left side: 1 Ag atom, 1 Br atom Right side: 1 Ag atom, 2 Br atoms
The number of bromine atoms is not the same on both sides, meaning mass is not conserved.
Identifying the Imbalance The equation is unbalanced because there is one bromine atom (Br) on the left side (in AgBr) and two bromine atoms ( B r 2 ) on the right side. According to the law of conservation of mass, the number of atoms of each element must be the same on both sides of a chemical equation. Therefore, the unbalanced equation violates this law, implying that mass is not conserved, which is impossible.
Conclusion Therefore, the correct answer is D. There is more mass represented on the right side of the equation than on the left side.
Examples
In a lab setting, if you start with 10 grams of silver bromide (AgBr), you must end up with products that also total 10 grams. An unbalanced equation would suggest that mass is either created or destroyed, which is not possible according to the law of conservation of mass. Balancing chemical equations is crucial in fields like environmental science to accurately predict pollutant formation or in pharmaceuticals to ensure correct dosages of medications are produced.
