Balancing Chemical Equations (medium)

Front

What is a balanced chemical equation?

Back

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

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 are coefficients in a chemical equation?

Back

Coefficients are the numbers placed in front of the compounds in a chemical equation to indicate the relative amounts of each substance involved in the reaction.

Front

How do you determine the coefficients needed to balance a chemical equation?

Back

To balance a chemical equation, adjust the coefficients of the reactants and products until the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.

Front

What is the first step in balancing a chemical equation?

Back

The first step is to write the unbalanced equation and count the number of atoms of each element on both sides.

Front

What is the significance of balancing chemical equations?

Back

Balancing chemical equations is important because it reflects the actual proportions of reactants and products in a chemical reaction, ensuring accurate calculations in stoichiometry.

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 a chemical 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 a chemical equation.

Front

What does it mean if a chemical equation is unbalanced?

Back

An unbalanced chemical equation does not have equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides, indicating that the reaction does not obey the law of conservation of mass.

Front

What is the role of subscripts in a chemical formula?

Back

Subscripts indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule; they are not changed when balancing equations.