Balancing Chemical Equations

Front

What is a balanced chemical equation?

Back

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

Front

What are reactants in a chemical equation?

Back

Reactants are the substances that undergo a chemical change in a 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 the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

Back

The purpose is to ensure that the law of conservation of mass is followed, meaning the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.

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 in the reaction.

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

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

Front

How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

Back

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

Front

What does the arrow in a chemical equation represent?

Back

The arrow represents the direction of the reaction, indicating that reactants are transformed into products.

Front

What is the difference between a reactant and a product?

Back

Reactants are the starting materials in a reaction, while products are the substances produced by the reaction.

Front

Can you change subscripts to balance a chemical equation?

Back

No, changing subscripts alters the identity of the substance; only coefficients can be changed to balance the equation.