Let us balance the following chemical equation –
Fe + H2O → Fe3O4 + H2
Step I: To balance oxygen atoms, we can put coefficient ‘4’ as 4H2O
Step II: Let us balance hydrogen atoms as 4H2 in the partly balanced equation.
Step III: To equalise Fe, we take three atoms of Fe on the LHS.
The numbers of atoms of elements on both sides of being equal. This equation is now balanced.
3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2