Balancing a chemical equation involves making sure that the same number of each type of atom is on both sides of the equation. Here is a step-by-step guide to balance a chemical equation:
1. Write down the chemical equation with the correct formulas for each reactant and product.
2. Count the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.
3. Start by balancing the atoms that are in elements that appear only once on each side of the equation.
4. For elements that appear in more than one compound, balance them one at a time using coefficients.
5. Remember that you can only balance equations by changing the coefficients in front of the formulas, not by changing the subscripts within the formulas.
6. Continue balancing until you have the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.
For example, let's balance the chemical equation: C3H8 + O2 → CO2 + H2O
1. Count the number of each type of atom on each side of the equation:
- Carbon: 3 on the left, 1 on the right
- Hydrogen: 8 on the left, 2 on the right
- Oxygen: 2 on the left, 3 on the right
2. Start by balancing the atoms that appear only once on each side:
- Balance the carbons by putting a coefficient of 3 in front of CO2: C3H8 + O2 → 3CO2 + H2O
- Balance the hydrogens by putting a coefficient of 4 in front of H2O: C3H8 + O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O
3. Check again and make sure all atoms are balanced:
- Carbon: 3 on the left, 3 on the right
- Hydrogen: 8 on the left, 8 on the right
- Oxygen: 10 on the left, 10 on the right
By following these steps, you should be able to balance any chemical equation.
how to balance chemical equation
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