Chemical Reactions - Balancing Chemical Equations

Question 1

basic reaction format

Answer 1

• reactants(starting materials) -> products(final materials)

Question 2

skeleton equation

Answer 2

• identify reactants and product
• write correct formulas (never alter subscripts of properly written compounds)
• set-up equation

Question 3

balanced equation

Answer 3

• law of conservation of mass
• same number of each atom on both sides of reaction
• use coefficients to balance, do not change subscripts

Question 4

ex.

Answer 4

• burning charcoal (carbon) reacts with oxygen to yield carbon dioxide
• C + O2 = CO2
• sodium chloride reacts with silver nitrate to produce silver chloride and sodium nitrate
• NaCl + AgNO3 -> AgCl + NaNO3
• hydrogen reacts with oxygen to give water
• H2 + O2 -> H2O