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 substances that undergo a chemical change in a 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.

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; it is conserved.

Front

How do you determine the total number of atoms in a compound?

Back

To find the total number of atoms, multiply the subscript of each element by the coefficient and sum them up.

Front

What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

A coefficient is a number placed in front of a compound in a chemical equation to indicate how many molecules or moles of that compound are involved.

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

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

Front

How many atoms are in 5Na3PO4?

Back

There are 40 atoms in 5Na3PO4 (5 Na + 15 O + 5 P = 40 total atoms).

Front

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

Back

No, the equation is not balanced because the number of Al and O atoms is not the same on both sides.