The following diagram shows the combination reaction between hydrogen, H₂, and carbon monoxide, CO, to produce methanol, CH₃OH (white spheres are H, black spheres are C, red spheres are O). The correct number of CO molecules involved in this reaction is not shown. (a) Determine the number of CO molecules that should be shown in the left (reactants) box.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula for each reactant and product. For this reaction, the reactants are hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), and the product is methanol (CH3OH).
2. Write the unbalanced chemical equation for the reaction: H2 + CO → CH3OH.
3. Balance the equation by adjusting the coefficients to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the equation. Start by balancing the carbon (C) atoms, then the hydrogen (H) atoms, and finally the oxygen (O) atoms.
4. Verify that the total number of atoms of each type on the left side of the equation equals the total number on the right side. This confirms that the equation is balanced.
5. Count the number of CO molecules (represented by the coefficient in front of CO in the balanced equation) to determine how many should be shown in the reactants box.

Key Concepts

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the quantitative relationships between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows chemists to calculate the amounts of substances consumed and produced in a reaction based on balanced chemical equations. Understanding stoichiometry is essential for determining how many molecules of each reactant are needed to produce a specific amount of product.

Balanced Chemical Equation

A balanced chemical equation represents a chemical reaction with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. This balance reflects the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. For the reaction between hydrogen and carbon monoxide to form methanol, the balanced equation is crucial for identifying the correct stoichiometric coefficients for each reactant and product.

Mole Concept

The mole concept is a fundamental principle in chemistry that relates the mass of a substance to the number of particles it contains. One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number (approximately 6.022 x 10^23) of molecules. This concept is vital for converting between grams and moles, allowing chemists to determine how many molecules of carbon monoxide are needed to react with a given amount of hydrogen to produce methanol.