Question

Barium metal can be prepared from its oxide by heating with aluminum at \(1200{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). (Aluminum oxide is also formed.) At the reaction temperature, the oxides are solids, aluminum is a liquid, and barium is a gas. Write a balanced equation for the reaction.

Short answer

3BaO + 2Al → Al₂O₃ + 3Ba

Step-by-step solution

Step 1 1: Determine reactants and products

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Step 4: Write the balanced chemical equation

Finally, we write the balanced reaction, taking into account the stoichiometry deduced from the coefficients calculated earlier:\[3BaO + 2Al ightarrow Al_2O_3 + 3Ba\]

Key concepts

Balancing Equations

Balancing chemical equations is a crucial skill in chemistry. It ensures that the law of conservation of mass is followed. This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system. When dealing with chemical reactions, it's essential to have an equal number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.
This means, for any reaction, the mass and charge must be balanced.
For instance, in the reaction between barium oxide and aluminum, the first step involves first identifying the reactants and products. The reactants are barium oxide, BaO, and aluminum, Al, while the products are aluminum oxide, Al\(_2\)O\(_3\), and barium, Ba.
To balance the equation, we start by adjusting the coefficients, the numbers in front of each compound or element:

• List all the elements involved: Ba, O, Al.
• Balance one element at a time, typically starting with metals or complex compounds.
• In our final balanced equation, each element has the same number of atoms on each side: \[3\text{BaO} + 2\text{Al} \rightarrow \text{Al}_2\text{O}_3 + 3\text{Ba}\]

Balancing forces us to think not only of the number of atoms but also about moles and the stoichiometry of the equation.

Barium Oxide Reduction

Barium oxide, represented by the formula BaO, involves the process of reduction when it reacts with aluminum. Reduction is a chemical process where an element gains electrons. In this context, barium oxide gets reduced to barium by losing oxygen atoms. This often involves a transfer of oxygen from the oxide, in this case, BaO, to form another compound.
In the reaction:

• Barium oxide acts as the oxidizing agent (it donates oxygen).
• Barium, Ba, is produced as a gaseous product.
• This process occurs upon heating the reactants to about 1200℃.

During reduction, it's crucial to consider the physical states of the reactants and products, as they can significantly affect the reaction rate and direction.

Aluminum as Reducing Agent

Aluminum plays a pivotal role in many chemical reactions as a reducing agent, particularly in metallurgical processes. A reducing agent is a substance that donates electrons to another substance, reducing it. In our specific reaction, aluminum donates electrons to barium oxide, leading to the formation of aluminum oxide.
Let's explore why aluminum is effective:

• Aluminum has a high affinity for oxygen, allowing it to effectively strip oxygen from other compounds.
• When aluminum reacts with barium oxide, it gains oxygen to become Al\(_2\)O\(_3\).
• This forms a new compound while facilitating the reduction of BaO to Ba.

Using aluminum as a reducing agent is a practical approach due to its abundance and effectiveness, especially in high-temperature environments like the one provided in this reaction. Moreover, understanding the role of aluminum should help elucidate why it’s widely used in similar reduction reactions in industry.