INTERACTION BETWEEN SUBSTANCES

BALANCING CHEMICAL
EQUATIONS
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Identify reactants and products in a chemical equation/reaction; (C9.B.1)
2. Use appropriate symbols in writing chemical equation; (C9.B.2) and
3. Balance simple chemical equations. (C9.B.4)

Time Allotted: 1 min Actual Time: __________

In the previous lesson, you learned the different rules that govern the combination of
different elements to form compounds, the laws of chemical combination. From the over
ninety naturally occurring elements, can you imagine how many, literally millions of
different chemical compounds are formed from all the possible combinations when they
are held together?

For example, carbon ​(element 1)​, the element present in charcoal which we basically used
in grilling reacts with oxygen ​(element 2) in the air and forms carbon dioxide ​(compound)
while burning. The process is called ​chemical reaction. ​It results upon the formation or
breaking of bonds between the outermost parts of the atom. From the example, the bonds
are broken and energy is released when charcoal is burned. Therefore, when there are
changes in matter, formation of new materials with new properties, and energy
exchanges, a chemical reaction takes place. To briefly describe a chemical reaction,
chemists developed a standard way to represent them using ​chemical equations.

Time Allotted: 2 min Actual Time: __________

Chemical equation ​uses chemical symbols and formulas as representation to illustrate

what happens during a chemical reaction. Thus, it is useful after such reactions to
recognize what happened before and after. The equation has a general form of:

Reactants ​are the substances on the left side that existed before a reaction and are the
substances that are changed. Whereas, ​products are the substances on the right side
that exist after the reaction and these are the new substances produced.

From the previous example, the chemical equation can be written as:

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Where: + means ​reacts ​(separates two or more reactants or products)
→ means ​yields ​(separates reactants from products)

Other symbols used in chemical reaction are the physical state of the substances such as,
(s) for solid, ​(l) ​for liquid, ​(g) f​ or gas, and ​(aq) f​ or substances dissolved in water or in
aqueous solution.

Thus, the equation can be read as, “one atom of carbon (C) reacts with one molecule of
oxygen (O​2​) to yield one molecule of carbon dioxide (CO​2​)”, since using chemical symbols
and formulas says about the quantities of reactants or products. The equation shows the
same number of atoms of each kind both in the reactant and product side: one for carbon
and two for oxygen ​(recall that oxygen occurs as a diatomic molecule​), respectively.
Therefore, the equation can be considered ​balanced.

What shall we do if the chemical equation is not balanced?

For example, if you choose a closed room to use a charcoal grill, a completely different
product will be produced since there might be insufficient amount of oxygen. The reaction
would produce the poisonous gas carbon monoxide (CO). The chemical equation can be
written as:

However, the equation is not complete since it violates the ​law of conservation of mass​,
in a chemical reaction, matter is created nor destroyed. As previously discussed in Lesson
11.1, this law states that:

mass of reactants = mass of products

From the example on the formation of carbon monoxide, two oxygen atoms are in the
reactants (​O​2​) but only one in the product (C​O​). Therefore, an atom of oxygen has
disappeared somewhere. Remember that during the process, atoms are not lost or
destroyed, nor are changed to a different kind.

Carbon Oxygen Carbon Monoxide

​C O​2 CO

+ →

By changing CO to CO​2, the equation cannot be fixed because the identity of the
compounds would also change. The ​subscript in a formula cannot be changed because a
different formula means a different composition and thus a different compound.

What we can do is to use a ​coefficient,​ a number placed in ​front of the formula. Changing
a coefficient changes the amount of the substance, not the identity. If we put 2 as
coefficient in CO, 2 CO means two molecules of carbon monoxide. If we use 3 as

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coefficient, 3 CO means three molecules of carbon monoxide and goes on. If there is no
coefficient, it is understood as 1, as with subscripts.

2​ Carbon Oxygen ​2​ Carbon Monoxide

​2​ C + O​2 → ​2​ CO

​+ →

To differentiate, the ​subscript ​in a chemical formula tells how many atoms of that element
to the left are in the molecule, while the ​coefficient used indicates how many molecules
(or atoms) are involved in the reaction.

Thus, using 2 as coefficients for carbon and carbon monoxide, respectively in the equation
will result in the equal number of atoms of each kind on both side:

Therefore, the equation can be considered ​balanced.

Balancing Chemical Equation

In writing a balanced chemical equation, we follow a procedure of four steps. For example,
when methane (CH​4​), a natural gas reacts with oxygen (O​2​), carbon dioxide (CO​2​) and
water vapor (H​2​O) are produced.

Step 1. ​Using the correct symbols and formulas for the reactants and products, write the
unbalanced chemical equation.
Example:

Step 2. ​Record (inventory) how many atoms of each kind are on both sides of the
unbalanced equation.
Example:

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Step 3. ​To balance the equation, identify which substance in the equation ​(reactant or
product side) will the coefficient(s) be placed. Remember to focus on the simplest thing
you can do with whole number ratios.

In the given example, both H and O atoms are unbalanced. There are 4 H atoms on the
reactant and 2 H atoms on the product, respectively. Placing a coefficient 2 in front of H​2​O
will balance the H atoms:

Now take a second inventory:

This shows that O atoms are still unbalanced with 2 on the reactant and 4 on the product.
Therefore, using 2 as the coefficient in front of O​2 will
​ balance the O atoms.

Step 4. ​After placing the coefficients, record and identify if the number of atoms of each
kind are now equal on both sides. If so, determine if the coefficients used are in the lowest
possible whole-number ratio.
Example:

Thus, the number of atoms of each kind is the same on each side of the equation, and the
ratio of 1:2 → 1:2 is the lowest possible whole-number ratio. ​The equation is now
balanced​.

Generally, when balancing chemical equations, it is like a ​trial-and-error procedure​. But

with practice, there are a few generalized “role models” you can find and can be useful in
balancing equations for many simple reactions. To do so, remember the following while
thinking it out step-by-step:

1. Atoms are conserved. In a chemical reaction, they are neither lost nor gained and do
not change their identity. Therefore, the same number of atoms of each kind must
appear in the products.
2. Subscripts cannot be altered in the correct formula of a compound. Changing the
number or placement of the subscript means changing the identity of a compound as
well as the meaning of the entire equation.

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3. Coefficients used (placed in front) multiplies everything in the symbols or formulas by
that number.

Time Allotted: 14 min Actual Time: __________

Balancing Chemical Equation. ​This online video tutorial can be used as a supplementary
material to further understand how to balance a simple chemical equation. ​Access via:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ckfeRjjvI

GRADED FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Write a balanced chemical equation for each of the following unbalanced equations:

1) SO​2​ + O​2​ → SO​3

2) KClO​3​ → KCl + O​2

3) Al + HCl → AlCl​3​ + H​2

4) Fe​2​O​3​ + CO → Fe + CO​2

5) Al​2​(SO​4​)​3​ + BaCl​2​ → AlCl​3​ + BaSO​4

Time Allotted: 10 min Actual Time: __________

In Summary

Chemical equation is a short-hand way of describing a chemical reaction, a chemical

change in which one or more substances are destroyed and one or more new substances
are created. A chemical equation shows what are destroyed by the chemical change
(bonds break) and what are created by chemical change (new bonds form). These are the
substances in the reactants (on the left side) and products (on the right side), respectively.

It should adhere with the law of conservation of mass. If this rule will be satisfied, having
an equal number of atoms of each kind on both sides of the equation it is referred to as a
balanced equation.

Here are few helpful generalizations you can consider in balancing equations:
1. Consider first the formulas of compounds with most atoms. Attempt to balance the
atoms or compounds from which they were formed or to which they decomposed.
2. If on both sides of the equation a polyatomic ion appears, treat it as an independent
unit with a charge while recording (taking an inventory) rather than the individual atoms
making up the polyatomic ion.

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3. In finding the least common multiple, the “crossover technique” and “fractional
coefficients” can both be useful to balance a chemical equation.

Here are some rules to writing chemical equations to make sure all the atoms are
balanced correctly:
1. The subscripts of molecules cannot be changed (otherwise you make a completely
new molecule).
2. You can only add more atoms by putting coefficients in front of the entire molecule.
3. Continue adding coefficients until all the atoms are balanced.

Time Allotted: 3 min Actual Time: __________

Cracolice, M. S. and Peters, E. I. (2013). Introductory Chemistry: An Active Learning

Approach. [5​th​ ed]. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning

Enger, E. D., Ross F. C., and Tillery B. W. (2013). Integrated Science. [6​th​ ed]. McGraw
Hill Companies, Inc.

Bewick, S. et al. (2019). Types of Chemical Reaction. Retrieved on December 8, 2020

from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Valley_City_State_University/Chem_121/Chapt
er_5%3A_Introduction_to_Redox_Chemistry/5.3%3A_Types_of_Chemical_Reacti
ons

Farina, D. (2015). Balancing Chemical Equation. Retrieved on December 16, 2020 from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ckfeRjjvI

​Learning Guide 11. 3 | ​page 6 of 6