Balance the following equation: vee C_(8)H_(18)+square O_(2)arrow square CO_(2)+vee vee H_(2)O

## Step 1<br />The given equation is a combustion reaction where octane (C8H18) reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The goal is to balance the equation, which means that the number of atoms of each element must be the same on both sides of the equation.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />First, we balance the carbon atoms. There are 8 carbon atoms in octane, so we need 8 CO2 molecules on the product side to balance the carbon atoms.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Next, we balance the hydrogen atoms. There are 18 hydrogen atoms in octane, so we need 9 H2O molecules on the product side to balance the hydrogen atoms.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Finally, we balance the oxygen atoms. There are 16 oxygen atoms in 8 CO2 molecules and 9 oxygen atoms in 9 H2O molecules, making a total of 25 oxygen atoms. Therefore, we need 25/2 = 12.5 O2 molecules on the reactant side to balance the oxygen atoms.