Balancing Chemical Equations

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What is a balanced chemical equation?

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A balanced chemical equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the equation, reflecting the Law of Conservation of Mass.

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What does the Law of Conservation of Mass state?

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Matter cannot be gained or lost in a chemical reaction.

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How do you balance a chemical equation?

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Adjust the coefficients of the reactants and products to ensure the same number of each type of atom on both sides.

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What is the coefficient in a chemical equation?

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

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What is the significance of subscripts in chemical formulas?

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Subscripts indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule; for example, in H2O, the '2' indicates there are two hydrogen atoms.

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8 oxygen atoms.

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4 carbon atoms.

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What is the first step in balancing a chemical equation?

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Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.

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What does it mean if a chemical equation is not balanced?

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It means that the reaction does not obey the Law of Conservation of Mass, as the number of atoms of each element is not equal on both sides.

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What is the balanced equation for the reaction of silver nitrate and copper?

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2 AgNO3 + 1 Cu → 1 Cu(NO3)2 + 2 Ag.