Balancing Chemical Equations

Front

What is a balanced chemical equation?

Back

A balanced chemical equation has an equal number of each type of atom on both the reactant and product sides.

Front

What is an unbalanced chemical equation?

Back

An unbalanced chemical equation contains an unequal number of reactant and product atoms.

Front

Back

Unbalanced

Front

Back

Balanced

Front

Back

Balanced

Front

Back

Unbalanced

Front

What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

To balance a chemical equation means to adjust the coefficients in front of the reactants and products so that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.

Front

Why is balancing chemical equations important?

Back

Balancing chemical equations is important because it reflects the conservation of mass, ensuring that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Front

What is the law of conservation of mass?

Back

The law of conservation of mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

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 the number of molecules or moles of each substance.