Balancing Chemical Equations

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 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 is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

Back

A coefficient is a number placed before a chemical formula to indicate how many molecules or moles of that substance are involved in the reaction.

Front

What is a subscript in a chemical formula?

Back

A subscript is a small number written after an element symbol that indicates the number of atoms of that element in a molecule.

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 is conserved.

Front

What is the total number of atoms in 5Na3PO4?

Back

40 (5 x (3 Na + 1 P + 4 O) = 40 total atoms).

Front

What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

Balancing a chemical equation means adjusting the coefficients to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides.

Front

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

Back

A chemical equation shows the reactants and products, while a balanced chemical equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides.