CONSERVATION OF MASS AND BALANCING EQUATIONS

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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 is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. The total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

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How do you balance a chemical equation?

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

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What is a reactant in a chemical reaction?

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

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What does it mean for a chemical equation to be balanced?

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A balanced chemical equation has the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation, reflecting the Law of Conservation of Mass.

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What is the significance of coefficients in a chemical equation?

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Coefficients indicate the number of molecules or moles of a substance involved in a reaction and are used to balance the equation.

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What is the difference between a chemical equation and a word equation?

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A chemical equation uses chemical formulas to represent reactants and products, while a word equation describes the reaction using the names of the substances.

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What is the role of subscripts in a chemical formula?

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Subscripts indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule. For example, in H2O, the '2' indicates there are two hydrogen atoms.

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How can you determine the number of HCl molecules needed to balance the equation Mg + __HCl → MgCl2 + H2?

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You need 2 HCl molecules to balance the equation, as each MgCl2 requires 2 Cl atoms from HCl.

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What is an example of a balanced chemical equation?

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2H2 + O2 → 2H2O is a balanced equation, showing that 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms react to form 2 water molecules.