Balancing Chemical Equations

Front

What is a chemical equation?

Back

A chemical equation is a symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, showing the reactants and products involved.

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 does the arrow in a chemical equation represent?

Back

The arrow indicates the direction of the reaction, showing that reactants are transformed into products.

Front

What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Back

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; the mass of reactants equals the mass of products.

Front

How do you balance a chemical equation?

Back

To balance a chemical equation, adjust the coefficients of the reactants and products to ensure the same number of each type of atom on both sides.

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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.

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What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

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A subscript is a small number written after an element symbol in a chemical formula, indicating the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

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What is the difference between a balanced and unbalanced equation?

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A balanced equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides, while an unbalanced equation does not.

Front

What is the significance of balancing chemical equations?

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Balancing chemical equations is important because it reflects the conservation of mass and allows for accurate stoichiometric calculations.