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 is the law of conservation of mass?

Back

The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; it can only change forms.

Front

How do you balance a chemical equation?

Back

To balance a chemical equation, adjust the coefficients of the reactants and products to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is equal on both sides.

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 it mean to 'balance' an equation?

Back

Balancing an equation means adjusting the coefficients so that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

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Example of balancing: Balance the equation: _C + _O2 → _CO2

Back

1, 2, 1 (C + 2O2 → CO2) is balanced.

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What is the significance of balancing equations in chemistry?

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Balancing equations is crucial because it reflects the conservation of mass and allows chemists to predict the amounts of reactants and products involved in a reaction.

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What is a reactant in a chemical reaction?

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A reactant is a substance that undergoes change during a chemical reaction, appearing on the left side of the equation.

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What is a product in a chemical reaction?

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A product is a substance that is formed as a result of a chemical reaction, appearing on the right side of the equation.

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What is the role of subscripts in chemical formulas?

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Subscripts indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule; they cannot be changed when balancing equations.