Balancing Equations Practice

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 a chemical reaction.

The coefficient indicates the number of molecules or moles of a substance involved in the reaction.

By balancing the chemical equation, you can find the coefficients that indicate the number of molecules produced for each substance.

Identify the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and products.

The law states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; therefore, the mass of reactants must equal the mass of products.

By adjusting the coefficients to ensure the same number of each type of atom on both sides, you find that 2 H2O and 2 CO2 are produced.

1 SnO2 + 2 H2 → 1 Sn + 2 H2O.

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

2 Fe + 6 H2SO4 → 1 Fe2(SO4)3 + 3 H2.

2 BF3 + 3 Li2SO3 → 1 B2(SO3)3 + 6 LiF.