Balancing Equations

Front

What is balancing equations?

Back

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

Front

What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

A coefficient is a large 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 to the right of a chemical symbol that indicates the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

Front

How do you balance the equation H2 + Cl2 -> HCl?

Back

The balanced equation is H2 + Cl2 -> 2HCl.

Front

What is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

Back

The purpose is to obey the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Front

What does it mean if an equation is unbalanced?

Back

An unbalanced equation does not have the same number of atoms of each element on both sides, indicating that the reaction is not accurately represented.

Front

What is the first step in balancing a chemical equation?

Back

The first step is to write down the number of atoms of each element present in the reactants and products.

Front

What is the balanced form of the equation N2 + O2 -> NO?

Back

The balanced equation is N2 + O2 -> 2NO.

Front

What is the significance of the number 2 in the equation 2Na + 2H2O -> 2NaOH + H2?

Back

The number 2 is a coefficient indicating that there are two molecules of sodium (Na) and two molecules of water (H2O) involved in the reaction.

Front

What happens if you change a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

Changing a subscript changes the identity of the substance, as it alters the number of atoms of that element in the molecule.