Section 5 - Writing and Balancing Equations

Question 1

In a reaction equation, what side are the reactants on?

Answer 1

Left

Question 2

In a reaction equation, what side are the products on?

Answer 2

Right

Question 3

What are the 4 steps to writing balanced equations?

Answer 3

1) Write out the word equation first.
2) Write the correct formula for each substance below its name.
3) Go through each element in turn, making sure the number of atoms on each side of the equation balances. If your equation isn’t balanced, you can only add more atoms by adding whole reactants or products.
4) If you changed any numbers, do step 3 again, and repeat until all the elements balance.

Question 4

What are ionic equations?

Answer 4

Chemical equations that just show the reacting particles

Question 5

When balancing ionic equations, what do you need to do?

Answer 5

Have the same number of atoms of each element on each side of the equation and make sure the charge is the same on both sides