Balancing chemical reactions

Front

What is a balanced chemical equation?

Back

A balanced chemical equation has the same number of each type of atom on both the reactant and product sides, indicating that mass is conserved during the reaction.

Front

What are reactants in a chemical reaction?

Back

Reactants are the substances that undergo a chemical change in a reaction, found on the left side of a chemical equation.

Front

What are products in a chemical reaction?

Back

Products are the substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction, found on the right side of a chemical equation.

Front

How do you determine if a chemical equation is balanced?

Back

Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation. If they are equal, the equation is balanced.

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 does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

Balancing a chemical equation means adjusting the coefficients in front of the reactants and products to ensure the same number of each type of atom 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.

Front

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 that indicates the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

Front

How many hydrogen atoms are in H2O?

Back

There are 2 hydrogen atoms in one molecule of water (H2O).

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How many oxygen atoms are in CO2?

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There are 2 oxygen atoms in one molecule of carbon dioxide (CO2).