Table of contents

Word equation

iodoform + silver nitrate + water → nitric acid + carbon monoxide + silver(I)

iodide

Input interpretation

CHI3 + AgNO3 + H2O → HNO3 + CO + Agi

Iodoform silver nitrate water nitric acid carbon monoxide silver(1) iodide

Balanced equation

Balance the chemical equation algebraically:

CHI3 + AgNO3 + H2O → HNO3 + CO + Agi

Add stoichiometric coefficients, c1, to the reactants and products:

c1CHI3 + c2AgNO3 + c3 H2O → c4 HNO3 + c5CO + c6Agi



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

C: c1 = c5

H: c1+ 2c3 = Cc4

I: 3c1 = c6

Ag: c2 = c6

N: c2 = c4

O: 3c2 + c3 = 3c4 + c5

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 = 1 c4=3

c5 = 1 c6=3

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

Answer:

CHI3 + AgNO3 + H2O → HNO3 + CO + Agi