Atom Balance: C & O for CO and O2 Reaction

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The discussion revolves around balancing the atoms of carbon (C) and oxygen (O) in the reaction involving one mole of CO and half a mole of O2, producing CO2, CO, O2, and O. The initial attempt to balance the reaction resulted in two equations with four unknowns, leading to confusion about solvability. It is clarified that the reaction can be simplified by considering a final state without CO, indicating an incomplete reaction, and acknowledging that O2 cannot be negative and O is not produced. The key takeaway is that atom balance can be defined by focusing on the conservation of mass and adjusting the reaction conditions to find a unique solution. This highlights the importance of understanding reaction completeness in atom balancing.
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Homework Statement


One mole of CO and 1/2 mole of oxygen are mixed and the products consist of CO2, CO, O2, and O. Write the atom balance for C and O.

Homework Equations



Mass conservation

The Attempt at a Solution


1/2(O2)+CO2 -> aCO2 +bCO+cO2 +dO.
a, b, c, d are unknowns.

I make a table:

Element Reactants Products
C 1 a+b
O 2 2a+b+2c+d

Its unsolvable. 2 equations and 4 unknowns. But the answer is CO2 <-> CO+1/2(O2)

How?
 
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It is solvable with a unique solution, if you consider a final state without CO (CO would just indicate your reaction was not complete) and take into account that O2 cannot be negative and O won't happen.
 
Strange question. How is atom balance defined?
 
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