Balancing Chemical Equations

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What is a balanced chemical equation?

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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 during the reaction.

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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 cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; it can only change forms.

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How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

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Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation. If they are equal, the equation is balanced.

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What is the coefficient in a chemical equation?

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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.

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What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

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

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What is the first step in balancing a chemical equation?

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The first step is to write down the unbalanced equation and count the number of atoms of each element on both sides.

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What is the significance of the coefficients in a balanced equation?

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Coefficients indicate the relative amounts of reactants and products involved in the reaction, which helps in stoichiometric calculations.

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What is the balanced equation for the reaction of sodium and chlorine?

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What is the balanced equation for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide?

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