Input interpretation
KNO_3 potassium nitrate + NH_4Cl ammonium chloride ⟶ H_2O water + KCl potassium chloride + N_2O nitrous oxide
Balanced equation
Balance the chemical equation algebraically: KNO_3 + NH_4Cl ⟶ H_2O + KCl + N_2O Add stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, to the reactants and products: c_1 KNO_3 + c_2 NH_4Cl ⟶ c_3 H_2O + c_4 KCl + c_5 N_2O Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for K, N, O, Cl and H: K: | c_1 = c_4 N: | c_1 + c_2 = 2 c_5 O: | 3 c_1 = c_3 + c_5 Cl: | c_2 = c_4 H: | 4 c_2 = 2 c_3 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 c_1 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients: c_1 = 1 c_2 = 1 c_3 = 2 c_4 = 1 c_5 = 1 Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation: Answer: | | KNO_3 + NH_4Cl ⟶ 2 H_2O + KCl + N_2O