Balancing Chemical Equations

Front

What is a chemical equation?

Back

A chemical equation is a symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, showing the reactants and products along with their quantities.

Front

What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

Balancing a chemical equation means ensuring that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

Front

What are reactants in a chemical equation?

Back

Reactants are the starting substances that undergo a chemical change in a reaction.

Front

What are products in a chemical equation?

Back

Products are the substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction.

Front

How do you determine the number of atoms in a compound?

Back

Count the subscripts in the chemical formula; if there is no subscript, it is assumed to be 1.

Front

What is the law of conservation of mass?

Back

The law of conservation of mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Front

How many oxygen atoms are in 2H2O?

Back

There are 2 oxygen atoms in 2H2O.

Front

What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

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

Front

How many total atoms are in the compound 3Ca(OH)2?

Back

There are 15 total atoms in 3Ca(OH)2 (3 Ca, 6 O, 6 H).

Front

What is the first step in balancing a chemical equation?

Back

The first step is to write down the number of atoms of each element present in the reactants and products.