How to balance chemical equations in chemistry.

 

How to balance chemical equations in chemistry.

Let's take the chemical equation for the reaction between hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) to form water (H2O):

H2 + O2 → H2O

The first step in balancing a chemical equation is to make sure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. In this case, we have:

On the left-hand side: 2 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms

On the right-hand side: 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom

To balance the equation, we need to add a coefficient (a number in front of a molecule) to the oxygen molecule on the left side. Let's start by adding a coefficient of 2:

            H2 + 2O2 → H2O

Now we have:

On the left-hand side: 2 hydrogen atoms and 4 oxygen atoms

On the right-hand side: 2 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms

The number of oxygen atoms is not the same on both sides of the equation. To balance this, we need to add a coefficient to the water molecule on the right side. We can add a coefficient of 2:

            H2 + 2O2 → 2H2O

Now we have:

On the left-hand side: 2 hydrogen atoms and 4 oxygen atoms

On the right-hand side: 4 hydrogen atoms and 4 oxygen atoms

The equation is now balanced, and we have the correct stoichiometric coefficients for the reaction:

            2H2 + 2O2 → 2H2O

This means that for every 2 molecules of hydrogen gas and 2 molecules of oxygen gas that react, we get 2 molecules of water as the product.