In balanced equations, we use "moles" to measure "representative particles". What numbers in the balanced equation show the number of moles?

1 answer

The coefficients in the balanced equation show the number of moles. They indicate the relative amounts of reactants and products that participate in a chemical reaction. For instance, if we have the balanced equation:

2H2 + O2 → 2H2O

It means that 2 moles of hydrogen gas react with 1 mole of oxygen gas to produce 2 moles of water. The coefficients 2, 1, and 2 represent the number of moles of each substance involved in the chemical reaction.