Recording-2025-03-13T17:08:49.655Z

Law of Conservation of Mass

• The law states that the total mass of reactants before a reaction equals the total mass of products after the reaction.

• Mass before the reaction (reactants) is equal to mass after the reaction (products).

• This principle is crucial for balancing chemical equations.

Importance of Balancing Chemical Equations

• Balancing shows that individual elements and their atoms on both sides of the equation are equal.

• No mass is lost during the chemical reaction; atoms are simply rearranged to form new compounds.

• Total mass remains constant in any chemical reaction.

Steps to Balance Chemical Equations

1. Identify Individual Atoms

   • Count the number of atoms for each element on both sides to determine if the equation is balanced.

2. Using Coefficients

   • Coefficients are numbers placed before compounds to indicate the number of molecules.

   • For example, in the compound with a coefficient of 2, such as 2AgCl, this signifies two silver atoms and two chlorine atoms.

   • Always place coefficients in front of compounds, not as subscripts between elements.

Balancing Process

• Start with elements that have subscripts in the formula.

• Adjust coefficients to balance these first before adjusting others.

• Maintain the original chemical formula without changing subscripts. Changing a subscript alters the compound itself, which is incorrect.

Practice and Resources

• There is no single method for balancing equations; practice is vital.

• Online activities for balancing equations are available on the educational platform for additional practice.

• Encouragement to engage in balancing exercises as a key learning tool.