Writing and 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 along with their quantities.

Front

What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

Balancing a chemical equation means ensuring that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

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; the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

Front

What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

A coefficient is a number placed in front of a chemical formula in an equation to indicate how many molecules or moles of that substance are involved in the reaction.

Front

What does the symbol (g) represent in a chemical equation?

Back

The symbol (g) indicates that the substance is in the gaseous state.

Front

What does the symbol (l) represent in a chemical equation?

Back

The symbol (l) indicates that the substance is in the liquid state.

Front

What does the symbol (s) represent in a chemical equation?

Back

The symbol (s) indicates that the substance is in the solid state.

Front

What does the symbol (aq) represent in a chemical equation?

Back

The symbol (aq) indicates that the substance is dissolved in water, forming an aqueous solution.

Front

How do you balance the equation: N2 + O2 → __?__ NO?

Back

The balanced equation is N2 + O2 → 2NO, meaning you need a coefficient of 2 for NO.

Front

What is the balanced equation for Al + FeO → Al2O3 + Fe?

Back

The balanced equation is 2Al + 3FeO → Al2O3 + 3Fe.