What coefficient is placed in front of H2 to complete the balancing of the following equation?

Pb + H2SO4 --- Pb(SO4)2 + ____ H2

Question

What coefficient is placed in front of H2 to complete the balancing of the following equation?

Pb +  H2SO4 --->  Pb(SO4)2  +  ____ H2

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

We need to balance the chemical equation: Pb + H2SO4 --> Pb(SO4)2 + ____ H2. The goal is to make the number of each type of atom the same on both sides, by choosing the appropriate coefficient in front of H2.
Option 5: If we tried 5 as the coefficient in front of H2, that would give 5 × 2 = 10 hydrogen atoms on the left, which would not align with the number of hydrogen atoms on the right in any balanced form of this equation. The sulfur and oxygen balance would also be off because Pb(SO4)2 contains 2 sulfate groups (S = 2, O = 8), requiring two H2SO4 molecules to supply those sulfates, not five. This makes 5 inconsistent with the rest of the equation.
Option 2: Choosing 2 for the H2 coefficient yields 2 × 2 = 4 hydrogen atoms on the left. To supply 2 sulfate groups in Pb(SO4)2, we need 2 H2SO4 on the left, which provides 2 sulfur atoms and 8 oxygens, matching the Pb(SO4)2 unit. Now check other elements: Pb is 1 on both sides (one Pb on the left, Pb(SO4)2 contains one Pb), sulfur is 2 on the right (in Pb(SO4)2) and 2 on the left (from 2 H2SO4), and oxygen is 8 on the right and 8 on the left (from 2 H2SO4). All atoms balance with H2 coefficient of 2.
Option 1: If the coefficient were 1, we would have only 2 hydrogens on the left, whereas the right side would require balancing with Pb(SO4)2 which contains 2 sulfates and typically needs two sulfate units from the left, leading to an imbalance in S and O atoms and overall inconsistency.
Option 3: A coefficient of 3 gives 3 × 2 = 6 hydrogens on the left. To balance sulfates, we’d still need two sulfate groups on the right, which would imply 2 H2SO4 on the left contributing 4 hydrogens, not 6, causing a mismatch in hydrogen as well as other elements; thus this choice does not yield a balanced equation.
In summary, among the provided options, 2 is the value that allows all elements (Pb, S, O, and H) to balance coherently across both sides of the equation, while the other options fail to produce a consistent balanced equation.

What coefficient is placed in front of H2 to complete the balancing of the following equation? Pb + H2SO4 ---> Pb(SO4)2 + ____ H2

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