What Is A — Balanced Chemical Equation

: List how many atoms of each element are on the reactant (left) and product (right) sides.

Now, there are 4 Hydrogen atoms and 2 Oxygen atoms on both sides. The "account books" are closed, and the mass is conserved! 3 Steps to Balance Any Equation what is a balanced chemical equation

). These tell you how many molecules of that substance are involved. You balance equations by adjusting these numbers. A Quick Example: Making Water If you look at the raw reaction for making water: : List how many atoms of each element

: Add numbers in front of formulas to equalize the atom counts. It’s often easiest to save Hydrogen and Oxygen for last. 3 Steps to Balance Any Equation )

H2+O2→H2Ocap H sub 2 plus cap O sub 2 right arrow cap H sub 2 cap O

This is because you have two oxygen atoms on the left but only one on the right. To fix it, we add coefficients: