Answer: ∴ the equation is UNBALANCED since the number of atoms of oxygen on the reactant side is greater than that of the product.
Explanation:
We can check if the equation is balanced by comparing the number of atoms of each element on the reactant and product sides. The reaction is only balanced if the number of atoms of each element is equal.
S + 3O₂ → SO₃
Reactant Product
S 1 1
O 6 3
∴ the equation is UNBALANCED since the number of atoms of oxygen on the reactant side is greater than that of the product.
The balanced equation would be 2 S + 3O₂ → 2SO₃
Reactant Product
S 2 2
O 6 6
