Balancing Chemical Equations Basics

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What is a chemical equation?

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

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What are reactants in a chemical equation?

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

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What are products in a chemical equation?

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

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What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

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

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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; it is conserved.

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

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To determine the number of atoms in a compound, multiply the subscript of each element by the coefficient in front of the compound.

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What is a coefficient in a chemical equation?

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A coefficient is a number placed in front of a chemical formula 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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How many oxygen atoms are in 3H2O?

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There are 3 oxygen atoms in 3H2O (since each water molecule has 1 oxygen atom).

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What is the purpose of balancing chemical equations?

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The purpose of balancing chemical equations is to accurately represent the quantities of reactants and products involved in a reaction.