Input interpretation
(NH4)3PO4 → H2O + NH3 + HPO3
water ammonia metaphosphoric acid
Balanced equation
Balance the chemical equation algebraically:
(NH4)3PO4 → H2O + NH3 + HPO3
Add stoichiometric coefficients, c, to the reactants and products:
C1 (NH4)3PO4 → C2 H2O + C3 NH3 + C4 HPO3
Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for N, H, P and O:
N: 3c1 = c3
H: 12c1 = 2c2 + 3c3 + c4
P: c1 = c4
O: 4c1 = c2 + 3 c4
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 = 1
c3 = 3
c4=1
Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to
equation:
Answer:
(NH4)3PO4 → H2O + NH3 + HPO3
