Iron reacts with atmospheric oxygen to form iron oxide or ferric oxide. Look at the chemical equation for this reaction: Fe + O2 → Fe2O3

This question is incomplete, the complete part is as follows:

This equation is unbalanced. Which of the following is the correct balanced equation for this reaction?

A. 4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3

B. 3Fe + 4O2 → 2Fe2O3

C. 2Fe + 4O2 → 3Fe2O3

D. 3Fe + 3O2 → 4Fe2O3

E. 4Fe + 4O2 → 3Fe2O3

The answer is A. 4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3

Explanation:

This question involved a chemical reaction between iron element (Fe) and atmospheric oxygen (O2) to produce iron oxide. The equation is given as follows:

Fe + O2 → Fe2O3

However, this chemical equation is NOT balanced and not in accordance with the law of conservation of matter. To balance this equation, we have to make sure that the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side is equal to that on the product side. Hence, we use COEFFICIENTS. The balanced equation is given below;

4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3