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 along with their quantities.

Front

What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

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

Front

What are coefficients in a chemical equation?

Back

Coefficients are the numbers placed in front of the compounds in a chemical equation to indicate how many molecules or moles of each substance are involved.

Front

How do you determine the number of atoms in a compound?

Back

To determine the number of atoms in a compound, you look at the subscripts in the chemical formula. For example, in C6H12O6, there are 6 carbon (C) atoms, 12 hydrogen (H) atoms, and 6 oxygen (O) atoms.

Front

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.

Front

How many atoms of Oxygen (O) are in H2O?

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There is 1 atom of Oxygen (O) in H2O.

Front

What is the balanced equation for the combustion of methane (CH4)?

Back

The balanced equation is: CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O.

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How many atoms of Hydrogen (H) are in C3H8?

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There are 8 atoms of Hydrogen (H) in C3H8.

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

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

Front

Is the equation 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O balanced?

Back

Yes, the equation is balanced because there are 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms on both sides.