How to Balance Sodium + Phosphoric acid → Sodium phosphate + Hydrogen gas |
How to Balance: Na + H3PO4 → Na3PO4 + H2
Type of Chemical Reaction: This is a single displacement reaction.
Word Equation: Sodium + Phosphoric acid → Sodium phosphate + Hydrogen gas
Balancing Strategies: In this single displacement reaction the Na is replacing the H atoms in H3PO4. To balance the equation it is helpful to consider the PO4 to be just one item since we have PO4 on both sides of the equation. This makes balancing much simpler.
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About Balancing Chemical EquationsWhen balancing chemical equations our goal is to have the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.Only change the coefficients (these are the numbers in front substances).
Never change the subscripts (the small numbers after elements).
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