Question

How does a skeletal chemical equation differ from a balanced chemical equation?

Answer 1

Skeletal chemical equation

Balanced chemical equation

In the skeletal chemical equation, the representation of a chemical reaction is done using the chemical formulae of reactants and products. For example: $$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to {\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right) \\ \left(\mathrm{Hydrogen}\right)\left(\mathrm{Oxygen}\right)\left(\mathrm{water}\right) \end{gathered}$$ In the skeletal chemical equation, mass on the reactant side and product side is not equal. we have to balance it later.

In the balanced chemical equation, number of atoms of all the molecules is equal on both sides of the equation. For example: $$\begin{gathered} 2{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\to 2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right) \\ \left(\mathrm{Hydrogen}\right)\left(\mathrm{Oxygen}\right)\left(\mathrm{water}\right) \end{gathered}$$ In this reaction, we can see that the number of atoms on the reactant side is equal to the number of atoms on the product side. Hence, it is a balanced chemical equation.