Table of contents

Input interpretation

CH3CO2H + Al(OH)3 → Al(C2H3O2)3 + H2O

Acetic acid aluminum hydroxide water

Balanced equation

Balance the chemical equation algebraically: 

CH3CO2H + Al(OH)3 → Al(C2H3O2)3 + H2O



Add stoichiometric coefficients,c1to the reactants and products:

c1CH3CO2H + c2 Al(OH)3c3Al(C2H3O2)3 + c4H2O



Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for C, H, O and Al:

C: 2c1 = 6c3

H: 4c1+ 3c2 = 9 c3+ 2c4

0: 2c1+ 3c2 = 6 c3+ c4

Al:c2= c3

Since the coefficients are relative quantities and underdetermined, choose a coefficient to set arbitrarily. To keep the coefficients small, the arbitrary value is ordinarily one. For instance, set c2 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients:

c1 = 3

c2=1

c3 = 1

c4 = 3

Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation:

Answer:

3 CH3CO2H + Al(OH)3 → Al(C2H3O2)3 + 3H2O