Step 2: Count the number of atoms for each element:Įxamine each element in the equation and count the number of atoms on both sides. For example, let's consider the combustion of methane: Here is a general step-by-step guide on balancing chemical equations with examples.īegin by writing the chemical equation as it is, without any coefficients. To satisfy the law of conservation of mass and obtain a balanced equation, the coefficients must be adjusted to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides. Such equations go against the law of conservation of mass according to which matter can only change. Similarly, on the left side, there are two oxygen ( O) atoms, but on the right side, there are three oxygen ( O) atoms. On the left side, there is one carbon ( C) atom and four hydrogen ( H) atoms, while on the right side, there is one carbon ( C) atom and only two hydrogen ( H) atoms. In this equation, the number of atoms for each element is not balanced. For example, consider the unbalanced equation for the combustion of methane: What is an unbalanced chemical equation?Ī chemical equation represents a chemical reaction with the help of symbols of the elements used in the reaction.Īn unbalanced chemical equation is characterized by an unequal number of atoms on the reactant side compared to the product side. You can click on any element of the periodic table to enter it or type in the element yourself. To use the chemical equation balancer, follow these steps. The calculator comes with the whole periodic table, making recognizing and inputting different elements very easy. I would love to know which of the three methods you prefer.The chemical equation balancer aids in maintaining the equilibrium on both sides of the equation. So, now that you’ve gone through the basics, how about testing out your skills? Each level below has 5 questions. I’ll walk you through the 4 steps involved in this video: Basically, what you’ll do is set up a bunch of equations and then solve them to get the coefficients (numbers in front of the formula). The final method is for those who loves solving algebraic equations or when you’re trying to balance complex equations (like the ones in Ninja level – see practice questions below). There are 4 simple steps in balancing equation using this method. It pretty much works like the first method, however, you keep track of the changes by writing them down. We’ll try out the second method on this new equation. You can take my word for it, or give it a try and see how long it’ll take you to balance this equation by inspection. However, it gets taxing when you encounter more complicated equation like this: C 6H 5F + O 2 → CO + H 2O + F 2. This is a rather popular method and it works pretty well to a certain extent. Since we added a 2 in front of NaCl, our Na on the right-hand side is no longer balanced, so we’ll need to add a 2 in front of NaF as well. So, we’ll place a 2 in front of NaCl like this: Looks like it’s not balanced since there’s one on the left but two on the right. Na is balanced since there is one on the left-hand side and one on the right-hand side. You balance the equation by inspecting it. Personally, I prefer Method 2 when it comes to solving easy to intermediate equations because it is simple and doesn’t tax my brain too much. There are 3 methods in mastering this art. If you count the number of atoms on both sides, you’ll notice that they are not equal: The compounds on the left-hand side (before the arrow) are called reactants while the compounds on the right-hand side (after the arrow) are called products. So the main goal of balancing chemical equation is to get the number of atoms to be the same on each side of the equation. You’ll be able to get the molar ratios for all the compounds involved in the reaction and that will enable you to perform various types of calculations correctly (more on that in future posts). Jokes aside, being able to balance chemical equation will open up a lot of possibilities. Is it important to be able to balance chemical equations correctly and quickly? You bet! Why so? First of all, you’ll make your chemistry teacher happy and maybe impress someone else along the way.
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