Ho can i balance a equation in chemistry

Answer 1

To balance a chemical equation in chemistry, follow these steps:

1. Write down the unbalanced equation. For example:
H₂ + O₂ → H₂O

2. Count the number of atoms on both sides of the equation for each element. In this case, there are 2 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms on the left side, and 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom on the right side.

3. Begin balancing by adjusting the coefficients (numbers in front of each molecule) to ensure equal numbers of atoms for each element. In this example, we need to balance the oxygen atoms first because there is only 1 on the right side and 2 on the left side.

4. To balance the oxygen atoms, we can place a coefficient of 2 in front of the water (H₂O) molecule:
H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O

5. Now, check the number of hydrogen atoms. There are 4 hydrogen atoms on the left side, and 4 on the right side, so they are already balanced.

6. The balanced equation is:
2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O

Remember, when balancing a chemical equation, never change the subscripts within a chemical formula. Only adjust the coefficients.