Which of the following is the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of sulfurous acid (H2SO3) with lithium hydroxide (LiOH) to form water (H2O) and lithium sulfite (Li2SO3)?

• A. H2SO3 + LiOH → H2O + Li2SO3
• B. H2SO3 + 2LiOH → 2H2O + Li2SO3
• C. H2SO3 + LiOH → 2H2O + Li2SO3
• D. 2H2SO3 + LiOH → H2O + 2Li2SO3

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the reactants and products in the chemical reaction. The reactants are sulfurous acid (H2SO3) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH), and the products are water (H2O) and lithium sulfite (Li2SO3).
2. Write the unbalanced chemical equation: H2SO3 + LiOH → H2O + Li2SO3.
3. Balance the equation by ensuring the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides. Start with the lithium (Li) atoms. Since there are two lithium atoms in Li2SO3, you need two LiOH molecules on the reactant side: H2SO3 + 2LiOH → H2O + Li2SO3.
4. Next, balance the hydrogen (H) atoms. There are four hydrogen atoms on the reactant side (2 from H2SO3 and 2 from 2LiOH), so you need two water molecules on the product side: H2SO3 + 2LiOH → 2H2O + Li2SO3.
5. Finally, check that the number of sulfur (S) and oxygen (O) atoms are balanced. There is one sulfur atom and three oxygen atoms in both H2SO3 and Li2SO3, and the oxygen atoms are balanced with the two water molecules. The balanced equation is: H2SO3 + 2LiOH → 2H2O + Li2SO3.