Balancing 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 reaction?

Back

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

Front

What are products in a chemical reaction?

Back

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

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; the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

Front

Can you change the subscripts when balancing equations?

Back

No, you cannot change the subscripts in a chemical formula when balancing equations, as it alters the identity of the substance.

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

How many hydrogen atoms are in 4H₂O?

Back

There are 8 hydrogen atoms in 4H₂O (4 molecules x 2 hydrogen atoms per molecule).

Front

Balance the equation: _CH₄ + _O₂ → _CO₂ + _H₂O

Back

1, 2, 1, 2

Front

What is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

Back

The purpose of balancing chemical equations is to accurately represent the conservation of mass and the stoichiometry of the reaction.