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Questions and Answers
Why is it essential to balance chemical equations?
Why is it essential to balance chemical equations?
- To comply with the law of conservation of mass. (correct)
- To visually represent the states of matter of the reactants and products.
- To ensure the reaction reaches equilibrium.
- To ensure the reaction proceeds at a measurable rate.
In a balanced chemical equation, what relationship must be true regarding the atoms of each element?
In a balanced chemical equation, what relationship must be true regarding the atoms of each element?
- The number of atoms of each element must be equal on both sides. (correct)
- The total charge of each element must be neutral on both sides.
- The physical state of each element must be the same on both sides.
- The sum of the atomic masses of each element must be constant.
Consider the unbalanced equation: $CH_4 + O_2 \longrightarrow CO_2 + H_2O$. What is the first step in balancing this equation?
Consider the unbalanced equation: $CH_4 + O_2 \longrightarrow CO_2 + H_2O$. What is the first step in balancing this equation?
- Balance the hydrogen atoms by adding a coefficient of 2 in front of $CH_4$.
- Balance the oxygen atoms by adding a coefficient of 2 in front of $O_2$.
- Balance the hydrogen atoms by adding a coefficient of 2 in front of $H_2O$. (correct)
- Balance the carbon atoms by adding a coefficient of 2 in front of $CO_2$.
Which of the following is the correctly balanced form of the equation: $Na + Cl_2 \longrightarrow NaCl$?
Which of the following is the correctly balanced form of the equation: $Na + Cl_2 \longrightarrow NaCl$?
In the reaction $Zn + H_2SO_4 \longrightarrow ZnSO_4 + H_2$, what does the arrow ($\longrightarrow$) signify?
In the reaction $Zn + H_2SO_4 \longrightarrow ZnSO_4 + H_2$, what does the arrow ($\longrightarrow$) signify?
Flashcards
Chemical Equation Layout
Chemical Equation Layout
Reactants on the left, products on the right, joined by a right-pointing arrow.
Chemical Equation
Chemical Equation
Represents a chemical reaction using chemical formulas for reactants and products.
Law of Mass Conservation
Law of Mass Conservation
In a chemical reaction, the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.
Balanced Chemical Equation
Balanced Chemical Equation
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Word Equation
Word Equation
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Study Notes
- In a word equation, the change of reactants into products is shown by placing an arrow between them.
- Reactants are written on the left-hand side (LHS) with a plus sign (+) between them.
- Products are written on the right-hand side (RHS), also separated by a plus sign (+).
- The arrow's head points towards the products, indicating the direction of the reaction.
Writing Chemical Equations
- Chemical formulas can be used in place of words to make chemical equations more concise and useful.
- A chemical equation represents a chemical reaction.
- An example of a word equation being converted to a chemical formula equation, using Magnesium, Oxygen, and Magnesium Oxide:
- Mg + O₂ → MgO
Significance of Balancing Chemical Equations
- Count and compare the number of atoms of each element on both the left and right sides of the arrow.
- If the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides, the equation is balanced.
- If unbalanced, the equation is called skeletal chemical equation. Example:
- The burning of Magnesium in the air example provided is just a skeletal equation.
Importance of Balanced Chemical Equations
- Recall the law of conservation of mass.
- Mass can neither be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
- In any chemical reaction, the total mass of the product elements is equal to the total mass of the reactant elements.
- In other words, the number of atoms of each element remains the same before and after a chemical reaction.
- It is necessary to balance a skeletal equation, and it can be learned step by step.
- An example, the word equation from Activity 1.3 can be represented:
- Zinc + Sulfuric acid → Zinc sulfate + Hydrogen
- The word equation above can be represented by the following chemical equation:
- Zn + H₂SO₄ → ZnSO₄ + H₂
- Compare the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the arrow in equation (1.3).
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Description
Learn how to represent chemical reactions using word and chemical equations. Discover the significance of balancing chemical equations to ensure the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the equation, and the difference between balanced and skeletal chemical equations.
