– 17 December, 2020
Easy methods to get better at balancing chemical equations
– 17 December, 2020
Were Math equations not enough?! Even Chemistry demands you to balance equations in higher grades. What a nightmare, right?! No! You would not believe it, but there is an easy way to make sure your chemical equations are balanced after all. All you need is a little practice and an eye for detail, and you can become the master of balancing chemical equations.
Let’s first establish the aim of balancing a chemical equation, shall we? We have already learned the law of conservation of mass that states no atoms can be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. So, the participating elements of a reaction will be the same on the other side of the equation with respect to the atoms and molecules. And that’s our aim- to ensure that the number of atoms and molecules of an element on the left side is equal to those on the right side.
The chemicals mentioned on the left side of an equation are called reactants and those on the right are the products. Instead of an ‘equal to’ symbol, we use an arrow in chemistry to show the reaction.
Visual representation of this chemical equation:
If we have to read this reaction, it would go as follows:
2 Molecules of Hydrogen react with 1 molecule of Oxygen to give 2 molecules of water
Students are usually expected to implement their knowledge of algebra to the balancing of chemical equations as well but considering that there are atoms and molecules that need to be balanced, it is important to take a specialised approach towards this chapter of chemistry.
We have collated a list of the most popular tips and tricks that will make you quick and confident about balancing chemical equations. This will not just help you learn chemistry equations but it will also improve your ability to help your study group as well!
Traditional Method to Balance Equations
We will use the chemical equation for photosynthesis as an example here.
Write the equation
CO2 + H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Reactants: 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water
Products: 1 sugar molecule and 6 oxygen molecules
Save Hydrogen and Oxygen for later as they appear in molecule form and recount the atoms and molecules before balancing them.
Now using the balanced element, balance the next element in line. In this case, it is Oxygen.
Here’s your balanced equation for photosynthesis
Create 2 columns and divide them into reactants and products. Write the number of atoms per element
Always start with single elements. This means that we will start with the carbon atoms.
You can see the Carbon atom is now balanced on both sides of the equation.
Now, balance the Oxygen atoms
Write the equation
CO2 + H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Reactants: 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water
Products: 1 sugar molecule and 6 oxygen molecules
Create 2 columns and divide them into reactants and products. Write the number of atoms per element
Save Hydrogen and Oxygen for later as they appear in molecule form and recount the atoms and molecules before balancing them.
Always start with single elements. This means that we will start with the carbon atoms.
You can see the Carbon atom is now balanced on both sides of the equation.
Now using the balanced element, balance the next element in line. In this case, it is Oxygen.
Now, balance the Oxygen atoms
Here’s your balanced equation for photosynthesis
Algebraic Method to Balance Equations
In this technique, we assign a variable as the stoichiometric coefficient for each reactant and product of the chemical equation. Let’s go for a slightly tricky chemical equation for this example.
Al2(CO3)3 + H3PO4 —> AlPO4 + CO2 + H2O
Assign a variable to each of the reactants and products.
Let’s start solving these equations to get the values of all elements. We will start by assigning a value to ‘a’. Let’s say it is 1.
Check the number of each element on both sides of the equation.
Check if this balances the equation
Assign a variable to each of the reactants and products.
Check the number of each element on both sides of the equation.
Let’s start solving these equations to get the values of all elements. We will start by assigning a value to ‘a’. Let’s say it is 1.
Check if this balances the equation
Easy, right? Who would have believed that balancing a complex chemical equation would be so easy!
Now that we have tackled the nightmare of balancing the chemical equations, here are a few neat techniques to make quick calculations.
#1 – Leave diatomic molecules for later. Since atoms like Oxygen and Hydrogen will appear in diatomic forms on both sides, it is best to balance the single elements first.
#2 – Count polyatomic ions as a single entity. Even though we counted the atoms of P and O separated in the above example, we could have easily counted PO4 as a single unit.
All you need to get better at balancing chemical equations is practice! It will help you get confident and even understand how chemical reactions work, so start finding chemical equations to balance and get on to it! You can get into the depth of writing chemical equations and balancing chemical equations online simply by logging on to the MSVgo app.
Happy Learning!
