Balancing Chemical Reactions

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 does the arrow (→) in a chemical equation represent?

Back

The arrow represents 'yields' or 'produces', indicating the direction of the reaction from reactants to products.

Front

How do you determine the coefficients in a chemical equation?

Back

Coefficients are determined by adjusting the numbers in front of the compounds to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is equal on both sides of the equation.

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

What is a reactant in a chemical reaction?

Back

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

Front

What is a product in a chemical reaction?

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

How many oxygen atoms are in the compound Al2O3?

Back

There are three oxygen atoms in the compound Al2O3.

Front

What is the coefficient of Na in the balanced equation 2 NaF + 1 Br2 → 2 NaBr + 1 F2?

Back

The coefficient of Na is 2.

Front

What does it mean if a chemical equation cannot be balanced?

Back

If a chemical equation cannot be balanced, it indicates that the reaction does not follow the law of conservation of mass, which is not possible in a closed system.

Front

What is the first step in balancing a chemical equation?

Back

The first step is to write down the number of atoms of each element present in the reactants and products.