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 starting substances in a chemical 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.

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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.

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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 do you balance a chemical equation?

Back

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

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What is the law of conservation of mass?

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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 does it mean to say a chemical equation is balanced?

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

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What is the total number of atoms in the compound 3H2O?

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There are 6 atoms in 3H2O (3 H2 means 6 hydrogen atoms and 3 oxygen atoms).

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What is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

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Balancing chemical equations ensures that the reaction obeys the law of conservation of mass and accurately represents the quantities of reactants and products.