How Do I Balance Equations?

Answer 1

ntroductory Stoichiometry
A chemical equation describes what happens in a chemical reaction. The equation identifies the reactants (starting materials) and products (resulting substance), the formulas of the participants, the phases of the participants (solid, liquid, gas), and the amount of each substance. Balancing a chemical equation refers to establishing the mathematical relationship between the quantity of reactants and products. The quantities are expressed as grams or moles.

It takes practice to be able to write balanced equations. There are essentially three steps to the process:

1. Write the unbalanced equation.
* Chemical formulas of reactants are listed on the lefthand side of the equation.
* Products are listed on the righthand side of the equation.
* Reactants and products are separated by putting an arrow between them to show the direction of the reaction.

1.
* Reactions at equilibrium will have arrows facing both directions.
2. Balance the equation.
* Apply the Law of Conservation of Mass to get the same number of atoms of every element on each side of the equation. Tip: Start by balancing an element that appears in only one reactant and product.
* Once one element is balanced, proceed to balance another, and another, until all elements are balanced.
* Balance chemical formulas by placing coefficients in front of them. Do not add subscripts, because this will change the formulas.
3. Indicate the states of matter of the reactants and products.
* Use (g) for gaseous substances.
* Use (s) for solids.
* Use (l) for liquids.
* Use (aq) for species in solution in water.
* Write the state of matter immediately following the formula of the substance it describes.

Worked Example Problem

Tin oxide is heated with hydrogen gas to form tin metal and water vapor. Write the balanced equation that describes this reaction.

1. Write the unbalanced equation.

SnO2 + H2 --> Sn + H2O

Refer to Table of Common Polyatomic Ions and Formulas of Ionic Compounds if you have trouble writing the chemical formulas of the products and reactants.

2. Balance the equation.

Look at the equation and see which elements are not balanced. In this case, there are two oxygen atoms on the lefthand side of the equation and only one on the righthand side. Correct this by putting a coefficient of 2 in front of water:

SnO2 + H2 --> Sn + 2 H2O

This puts the hydrogen atoms out of balance. Now there are two hydrogen atoms on the left and four hydrogen atoms on the right. To get four hydrogen atoms on the right, add a coefficient of 2 for the hydrogen gas. Remember, coefficients are multipliers, so if we write 2 H2O it denotes 2x2=4 hydrogen atoms and 2x1=2 oxygen atoms.

SnO2 + 2 H2 --> Sn + 2 H2O

The equation is now balanced. Be sure to double-check your math! Each side of the equation has 1 atom of Sn, 2 atoms of O, and 4 atoms of H.

3. Indicate the physical states of the reactants and products.

To do this, you need to be familiar with the properties of various compounds or you need to be told what the phases are for the chemicals in the reaction. Oxides are solids, hydrogen forms a diatomic gas, tin is a solid, and the term 'water vapor' indicates that water is in the gas phase:

SnO2(s) + 2 H2(g) --> Sn(s) + 2 H2O(g)

This is the balanced equation for the reaction..

Answer 2

This may seem a long explanation but, if you don't know the procedure, it is necessary.

The number of molecules in the reactants must equal the number of molecules in the product.

e.g. Burning methane gas reacts with oxygen of the air to produce Carbon dioxide and water.

CH4 + O2 = CO2 + H2O ... This NOT balanced.
The reactants are, Methane .. 1 Carbon and 4 Hydrogens, + 2 Oxygens.

The products are, Carbon dioxide.. 1 Carbon and 2 Oxygens, + Water.. 2 Hydrogens, and 1 Oxygen.

You can see that the products contain less hydrogen and more oxygen than the reactants.

To balance the reaction, you need more H and O somewhere.

It works out that, if we increase the Oxygen in the reactants and the Hydrogen in the product, we can balance the equation to give: -

CH4 + 2O2 = CO2 + 2H2O. a balanced equation.
(Check the number of C's, H's and O's each side of the '=').

Answer 3

When no. atoms of products and reactants are same on both sides it is called a balanced equation.This is done bcoz atoms can neither be destroyed nor created (included in the Dalton's model of an atom).Follow these steps to balance an equation:-
1.Write the reactants on left side and products on right side
2.Balance it with whole no.
3.Check that no. of products and reactants are same on both sides
eg:-2Al+6HCl=2AlCl3+3H2
In this equation there are 2 atoms of aluminium,6 atoms of hydrogen,6 atoms of chlorine on both sides
see that equation is balanced.

Answer 4

The pre-requisite for balancing equations is that you must know the valencies of each of the atoms involved, the chemical formulae of the reactants and the products as well.
Now with this knowledge you can proceed to having equal number of all types of atoms on left hand side of the equation and that on the right hand side of the equation.

Answer 5

LISTEN TO YOUR QUESTION

Answer 6

2 balance an eqn. u hav 2 balance the no. of molecules of each atom both da side by adding no. of molecules

Answer 7

one way to balance the chemical equation & the most commonly used way is HIT &TRIAL method

Answer 8

At a guess: TiO2 + 2C + 2Cl2 --> TiCl4 + 2CO C is a solid, Cl2 a gas (I think) and CO is definately a gas. No clue about the other two. Why not look it up? You must have data tables or something.

Answer 9

It's basic multiplication. Start with carbon or the highest number element then work your way though until you do hydrogens last.

Check out that website. I didn't learn it though it, but it's legit and it might help you.