HNO3 + S = H2O + SO2 + NO2

nitric acid + mixed sulfur ⟶ water + sulfur dioxide + nitrogen dioxide

Balance the chemical equation algebraically: + ⟶ + + Add stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, to the reactants and products: c_1 + c_2 ⟶ c_3 + c_4 + c_5 Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for H, N, O and S: H: | c_1 = 2 c_3 N: | c_1 = c_5 O: | 3 c_1 = c_3 + 2 c_4 + 2 c_5 S: | c_2 = c_4 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_2 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients: c_1 = 4 c_2 = 1 c_3 = 2 c_4 = 1 c_5 = 4 Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation: Answer: | | 4 + ⟶ 2 + + 4

+ ⟶ + +

nitric acid + mixed sulfur ⟶ water + sulfur dioxide + nitrogen dioxide

| nitric acid | mixed sulfur | water | sulfur dioxide | nitrogen dioxide Hill formula | HNO_3 | S | H_2O | O_2S | NO_2 name | nitric acid | mixed sulfur | water | sulfur dioxide | nitrogen dioxide IUPAC name | nitric acid | sulfur | water | sulfur dioxide | Nitrogen dioxide