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 involved.

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 does it mean for a chemical equation to be balanced?

Back

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

Front

How do you determine the total number of atoms in a compound?

Back

To find the total number of atoms, multiply the subscript of each element by the coefficient in front of the compound and sum them up.

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.

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.

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

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

Front

How can you tell if a chemical equation is unbalanced?

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A chemical equation is unbalanced if the number of atoms of any element differs between the reactants and products.

Front

What is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

Back

Balancing chemical equations ensures that the same amount of each element is present before and after the reaction, adhering to the law of conservation of mass.