Finding the right balance: Balancing chemical equations

Finding the right balance

Balancing

CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

01

Before we can even start talking about balancing chemical equations, let us talk about symbols and formulae of elements and the substances made from these elements

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what's wrong with this recipe?

Basic Strawberry Cheesecake recipe

Ingredients

• vanilla
• eggs
• strawberry

• cream cheese
• granulated sugar
• sour cream

If I provided you with the procedure to make this basic strawberry cheesecake recipe, would you be able to? If no, why not? Click here to find out if you were right!

LET US now switch from food and nutrition from the previous page to chemistry!

Making water

Ingredients

• hydrogen
• oxygen

The word equation for the above reaction ishydrogen+oxygen----->water On a previous slide we learnt that writing chemical equations is best represented using chemical formulae for the substances instead of their names Formulae equation> H2+ O2----->H2O But something is still wrong with this equation. Click here to learn what

02

VIDEO

Why do we have to balance chemical equations? Because it ties in with the Law of Conservation of Mass.

VIDEOS

Balancing equations 1

Balancing equations 2

03

VIDEO

Here is a third video on balancing equations.

Key pointers in balancing equations

01

You CANNOT CHANGE THE FORMULA OF THE SUBSTANCE (Put a box around it and do not write in the box)

02

You can only USE COEFFICIENTS i.e. put numbers IN FRONT of the given formula(Think outside the box)

03

Remember the Law of conservation of mass so you MUST HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF ATOMS ON THE LEFT AND THE RIGHT

When you make your changes, always keep checking both sides to make sure that all of your atoms are still balanced.

04

IMPORTANT TEXT

04

Sometimes, balancing equations can get a bit challenging and you may not be able to use the regular method as seen in the other videos. You may have to use TRIAL AND ERROR. This means we just place a coefficient in front of a formula and then try to balance the equation. If the equation does not balance you just TRY AGAIN with another coefficient. Start with 2 and then work your way up to the number scale. BUT REMEMBER, TRY THE REGULAR METHOD OF BALANCING FIRST BEFORE YOU USE THE TRIAL AND ERROR METHOD. Click here for more.

Time to balance.

a)Na + Cl2---->NaCl sodium +chlorine--->sodium chloride

b)Ba + O2------> BaO barium + oxygen--->barium oxide

Title 2

Time yo

c)K + H2O--->KOH + H2 potassium + water--->potassium hydroxide + hydrogen

Thanks!

STILL NOT CERTAIN ABOUT THIS TOPIC, CLICK HERE TO SEE A LINK TO ANOTHER PRESENTATION ON BALANCING EQUATIONS AND REFER TO CSEC CHEMISTRY BY NARESH BIRJU CHAPTER 6 PAGES 90-93