Balancing CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

You Should Be Able To…
1. Define and explain the law of conservation of mass
2. Represent chemical reactions and the conservation

of atoms, using molecular models
3. Write and balance (using the lowest whole number

coefficients) chemical equations from formulae, word
equations, or descriptions of experiments
 Subscript
 Coefficient
 Law of Conservation of Mass
 Molecule
 Atom
 Skeleton Equation
 Balanced Equation
 Word Equation
 Chemical reactions result in chemical changes.
 Chemical changes occur when new substances are created.
 The original substance(s), called reactants, change into new substance(s) called
products.
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007 See pages 202 - 203

(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007 See pages 202 - 203
 Chemical reactions can be written in different ways.
– A word equation:
• Nitrogen monoxide + oxygen  nitrogen dioxide
– A symbolic equation: STATE OF MATTER
• 2NO(g) + O2(g)  2NO2(g) - Letters indicate the
state of each compound.
(aq) = aqueous/dissolved
COEFFICIENTS in water
- Indicates how many of each (s) = solid

molecule there is. ( ) = liquid
-Ie: there are 2 molecules of NO. (g) = gas
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
 When a chemical reaction occurs, new compounds are
created, BUT…
 No new matter is created or destroyed;
destroyed atoms are
just rearranged as the atoms change partners to form
new compounds.
 If there are 3 atoms of oxygen in the reactants, there
MUST be 3 atoms of oxygen in the products.
 Number of each atom in reactants = number of each
atom in products.
 The law of conservation of mass:
 Mass of reactants = mass of products
If you could collect and measure all of the exhaust from

this car, you would find that mass of reactants (gas + O2) =
mass of products (exhaust).
• The simplest form of chemical equation is a word
equation.
– Potassium metal + oxygen gas  potassium oxide
• A skeleton equation shows the formulas of the

elements/compounds.
– A skeleton equation shows which atoms are involved, but
not how many molecules are involved.
• K + O 2  K2 O
• A balanced chemical equation shows all
atoms and the coefficients tells us how
many molecules (and atoms) there are.
– Balancing ensures that the number of each
atom is the same on both sides of the reaction
arrow.
4K + O2  2K2O
K K O O K O K
K K K O K
 Using the law of conservation of mass, we can count atoms to balance the
number of atoms in chemical equations.
 Word equation: methane + oxygen  water + carbon dioxide
 Skeleton equation: CH4 + O2  H2O + CO2
 To balance the compounds, take note of how many
atoms of each element occur on each side of the
reaction arrow.
See
(c) Page
McGraw Hill207
Ryerson 2007
Skeleton equation: CH4 + O2  H2O + CO2
Carbon = 1 Carbon = 1
Hydrogen = 4 Hydrogen = 2
The same number Oxygen = 2 Oxygen = 3
of atoms must be on
each side.
Balanced equation: CH4 + 2O2  2H2O + CO2 Carbon = 1
Carbon = 1
Hydrogen = 4 Hydrogen = 4
Oxygen = 4 Oxygen = 4
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007 See Page 207

Balancing Equations
hydrogen + oxygen  water
H2 + O2 
H2O
Reactants Products
H 2 2
O 2 1
Balancing Equations
X
hydrogen + oxygen  hydrogen peroxide
H2 + O2  H2O2
YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE SUBSCRIPTS

Reactants Products
H 2 2
O 2 2
Balancing Equations
H2 + O2 
2
H2O
Reactants Products
H 2 2
O 2 1
Balancing Equations
H2 + O2 
2
H2O
Reactants Products
H 2 4
O 2 2
Balancing Equations
2 H2
(g)
+ O2
(g)

2
H2O
(l)
Reactants Products
H 4 4
O 2 2
 Balance chemical equations by following these steps:
 Trial and error will work but can be very inefficient.
 USE A TABLE (write atoms underneath reactants and products)
 If they look the same on both sides of the equation, treat polyatomic ions (such
as SO42–) as a group & balance them as such.
 If ‘OH’ and H2O are in the equation, write water as HOH.
 Balance one compound at a time & rewrite the # of atoms in the chart as
things change.
 Only add coefficients; NEVER change subscripts!!!
 If H and O appear in more than one place, attempt to balance them LAST.
 Balance everything that isn’t ‘H’ or ‘O’ 1st.
 Balance the ‘H’s 2nd to last.
 Balance the ‘O’s last.
 Always double-check after you think you are finished.

 CHECK YOUR ANSWERS!!!

See pages 209 - 211
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/kellymdeters-86103-section-
2-7-balancing-chemical-equations-education-ppt-powerpoint/
 Balance the following:
 Fe + Br2  FeBr3
 Sn(NO2)4 + K3PO4  KNO2 + Sn3 (PO4)4
 C2H6 + O2  CO2 + H2O

____Ba + ____H2O  ____Ba(OH)2 + ____H2
____CO2 + ____H2O  ____H2CO3
____Fe2O3 + ____C  ____Fe + ____CO
____Fe + ____H2O  ____H2 + ____Fe2O3

 If you don’t transform your word into a skeleton equation
properly, you won’t be able to balance the equation correctly.
 Change chemical names into chemical
formulas. 4 types:
types
 Simple ionic compounds
 Multivalent ionic compounds
 Ionic compounds with polyatomic
ions
 Covalent compound
 Be careful of diatomic elements --

remember the special seven!!
seven
H2, N2, O2, F2, Cl2, Br2, I2
See page 208

 Several common covalent molecules containing hydrogen have
common names that you should know and MEMORIZE!!
 methane = CH4
 glucose = C6H12O6
 ethane = C2H6
 ammonia = NH3
See page 208

Example #1:
Word Equation: Solutions of lead nitrate react with potassium iodide to
produce solid lead iodide and a solution of potassium nitrate.
Skeleton Equation: Pb(NO3)2(aq) + KI(aq)  PbI2(s) + KNO3(aq)
Balanced Equation: Pb(NO3)2(aq) + 2KI(aq)  PbI2(s) + 2KNO3(aq)
Example #2:
Word Equation: Copper reacts with hydrogen nitrate to produce copper (II)
nitrate plus hydrogen.
Skeleton Equation: Cu + H(NO3)  Cu(NO3)2 + H2
Balanced Equation: Cu + 2H(NO3)  Cu(NO3)2 + H2

See page 208

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You Should Be Able To…

1. Define and explain the law of conservation of mass

2. Represent chemical reactions and the conservation

3. Write and balance (using the lowest whole number

(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007 See pages 202 - 203

- Indicates how many of each (s) = solid

If you could collect and measure all of the exhaust from

• A skeleton equation shows the formulas of the

(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007 See Page 207

hydrogen + oxygen  water

YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE SUBSCRIPTS

hydrogen + oxygen  water

hydrogen + oxygen  water

hydrogen + oxygen  water

 Always double-check after you think you are finished.

(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007

 Sn(NO2)4 + K3PO4  KNO2 + Sn3 (PO4)4

 C2H6 + O2  CO2 + H2O

____CO2 + ____H2O  ____H2CO3

____Fe2O3 + ____C  ____Fe + ____CO

____Fe + ____H2O  ____H2 + ____Fe2O3

 Be careful of diatomic elements --

See page 208

See page 208

Skeleton Equation: Pb(NO3)2(aq) + KI(aq)  PbI2(s) + KNO3(aq)

Balanced Equation: Pb(NO3)2(aq) + 2KI(aq)  PbI2(s) + 2KNO3(aq)

Skeleton Equation: Cu + H(NO3)  Cu(NO3)2 + H2

Balanced Equation: Cu + 2H(NO3)  Cu(NO3)2 + H2

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CO2 + H2O  H2CO3

Fe2O3 + C  Fe + CO

Fe + H2O  H2 + Fe2O3