Balancing Equations

Front

What is a balanced chemical equation?

Back

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.

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 is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

Back

The purpose is to ensure that the law of conservation of mass is obeyed, meaning the same number of atoms of each element must be present before and after the reaction.

Front

What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

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

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

A subscript is a small number written after an element symbol that indicates the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

Front

How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

Back

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

Front

What is the yield sign in a chemical equation?

Back

The yield sign (→) separates reactants from products and indicates the direction of the reaction.

Front

What does it mean if a chemical equation is unbalanced?

Back

An unbalanced equation indicates that the number of atoms of one or more elements is not the same on both sides, violating the law of conservation of mass.

Front

How do you balance the equation: H2 + O2 → H2O?

Back

Add coefficients to get 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O, ensuring the number of H and O atoms is equal on both sides.