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 of each element is the same on both sides 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 many atoms are in the compound C6H12O6?

Back

There are 24 atoms in total: 6 Carbon (C), 12 Hydrogen (H), and 6 Oxygen (O).

Front

What is the law of conservation of mass?

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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

What is the difference between reactants and products?

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Reactants are the starting substances in a chemical reaction, while products are the substances formed as a result of the reaction.

Front

How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

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Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation; if they are equal, the equation is balanced.

Front

What is the significance of balancing chemical equations?

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

Front

What is an example of a balanced chemical equation?

Back

2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O is a balanced equation, showing that 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms react to form 2 water molecules.