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

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 it mean if a chemical equation is unbalanced?

Back

An unbalanced chemical equation has a different number of atoms of one or more elements on each side, indicating that mass is not conserved.

Front

What is the law of conservation of mass?

Back

The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; it can only change forms.

Front

What is a reactant in a chemical equation?

Back

A reactant is a substance that undergoes a chemical change in a reaction, found on the left side of the equation.

Front

What is a product in a chemical equation?

Back

A product is a substance that is formed as a result of a chemical reaction, found on the right side of the equation.

Front

What is the role of coefficients in balancing equations?

Back

Coefficients are numbers placed before compounds in a chemical equation to indicate how many molecules or moles of that substance are involved.

Front

What is the difference between a chemical equation and a balanced chemical equation?

Back

A chemical equation shows the reactants and products, while a balanced chemical equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides.

Front

What happens if you change the subscripts in a chemical formula?

Back

Changing the subscripts alters the identity of the substance, while changing coefficients only affects the quantity.

Front

What is the significance of the arrow in a chemical equation?

Back

The arrow indicates the direction of the reaction, showing the conversion of reactants to products.