Law of Conservation of Mass & Balancing

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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.

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What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

A coefficient is a number placed in front of a compound or element in a chemical equation 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?

Back

A subscript is a number written below and to the right of a chemical symbol in a formula, indicating the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

Front

How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

Back

A chemical equation is balanced when the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

Front

What is the total number of oxygen atoms in 2H2SO4?

Back

There are 8 oxygen atoms in 2H2SO4 (2 x 4 = 8).

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What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

Balancing a chemical equation means adjusting the coefficients to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is equal on both sides of the equation.

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What is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

Back

The purpose of balancing chemical equations is to comply with the Law of Conservation of Mass, ensuring that mass is conserved during a chemical reaction.

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How many hydrogen atoms are in the product of the reaction 2SO2 + 2H2O2 -> 2H2SO4?

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There are 4 hydrogen atoms in the product 2H2SO4.

Front

What is the difference between a coefficient and a subscript?

Back

A coefficient indicates the number of molecules, while a subscript indicates the number of atoms of an element in a molecule.

Front

Is the equation Al + O2 -> 2Al2O3 balanced?

Back

No, the equation is not balanced.