Word equation
aluminum nitrate + water → nitric acid + aluminum hydroxide
Input interpretation
Al(N + H2O → HNO3 + Al(OH)3
Aluminum nitrate water nitric acid aluminum hydroxide
Balanced equation
Balance the chemical equation algebraically:
Al(NO3)3 + H2O → HNO3 + Al(OH)3
Add stoichiometric coefficients, c1, to the reactants and products:
c1Al(NO3)3 + c2H2O → c3 HNO3 + c4Al(OH)3
Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for Al, N, O and H:
Al: c1= c4
N: 3c1= c3
O: 9 c1 + c2 = 3c3+ 3c4
H: 2c2= c3+ 3c4
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 c1 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients:
c1 = 1
c2=3
c3=3
c4=1
Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation:
Answer:
Al(NO3)3 + 3H2O → 3 HNO3 + Al(OH)3
