The immutable rule of chemistry: atoms cannot be created or destroyed
In short: Learn why balancing chemical equations is more than just a math puzzle. This video explains the fundamental law of conservation of mass and the specific rules you must follow to represent chemical reactions accurately.
The core principle of chemical reactions is the law of conservation of mass, which dictates that no atoms are lost or created during a process. Instead, chemical reactions are simply the rearrangement of atoms into different configurations. To represent this accurately in symbol equations, the number of atoms on both sides of the equals sign must remain identical.
To balance an equation correctly, you must only modify the coefficients—the large numbers placed in front of compounds—to indicate the quantity of molecules. You cannot change the formulas themselves. Furthermore, in certain reactions, both the atoms and the electrical charges must be balanced, as nothing can appear or disappear during the transformation.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How To Balance Equations - Part 2 | Chemical Calculations | Chemistry | FuseSchool
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