Balancing Chemical Equations

Front

What is a balanced chemical equation?

Back

A balanced chemical equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the equation, indicating that mass is conserved during the reaction.

Front

What is the law of conservation of mass?

Back

The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; it can only change forms.

Front

What are reactants in a chemical equation?

Back

Reactants are the starting substances in a chemical reaction, found on the left side of the equation.

Front

What are products in a chemical equation?

Back

Products are the substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction, found on the right side of the equation.

Front

What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

A coefficient is a number placed in front of a chemical formula in an equation to indicate how many molecules or moles of that substance are involved.

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

A subscript is a small number written to the right of a chemical symbol that indicates the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

Front

How do you balance a chemical equation?

Back

To balance a chemical equation, adjust the coefficients of the reactants and products to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.

Front

What is the significance of balancing chemical equations?

Back

Balancing chemical equations is important because it reflects the conservation of mass and allows for accurate stoichiometric calculations.

Front

What is the role of the arrow in a chemical equation?

Back

The arrow in a chemical equation indicates the direction of the reaction, separating reactants from products.

Front

What does it mean if a chemical equation is unbalanced?

Back

An unbalanced chemical equation does not have equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides, which violates the law of conservation of mass.