Chemical Equation Balancing Flashcard

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 does it mean if a chemical equation is unbalanced?

Back

An unbalanced chemical equation has a different number of atoms of one or more elements on each side, meaning that mass is not conserved.

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

What is a physical change?

Back

A physical change is a change that affects one or more physical properties of a substance without altering its chemical composition.

Front

What is a chemical change?

Back

A chemical change results in the formation of new substances with different properties, often involving a chemical reaction.

Front

What is the difference between a physical change and a chemical change?

Back

A physical change does not create new substances, while a chemical change does.

Front

What is the role of coefficients in a chemical equation?

Back

Coefficients are numbers placed before compounds in a chemical equation to indicate the number of molecules or moles of that substance.

Front

How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

Back

To determine if a chemical equation is balanced, count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation and ensure they are equal.

Front

What is the significance of the arrow in a chemical equation?

Back

The arrow in a chemical equation indicates the direction of the reaction, showing the reactants on the left and the products on the right.

Front

What is a reactant in a chemical equation?

Back

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