Why should an unbalanced chemical equation be balanced?
Why should an unbalanced chemical equation be balanced?
Understanding the concept:
A balanced chemical equation is one in which all of the elements have an equal amount of atoms on both sides of the chemical equation.
To obey the law of conservation of mass, which states that 'atoms can neither be created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction'.
Thus a chemical reaction must be balanced.
Unbalanced chemical equation:
The reactants and products of a chemical reaction are listed in an imbalanced chemical equation, but the amounts required to meet the conservation of mass are not specified.
A balanced chemical reaction satisfies the law of conservation of mass;
CONCLUSION: Thus by knowing the relative proportions of reactants and products we can calculate the mass of reactants and products from a balanced chemical equation.
Understanding the concept:
A balanced chemical equation is one in which all of the elements have an equal amount of atoms on both sides of the chemical equation.
To obey the law of conservation of mass, which states that 'atoms can neither be created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction'.
Thus a chemical reaction must be balanced.
Unbalanced chemical equation:
The reactants and products of a chemical reaction are listed in an imbalanced chemical equation, but the amounts required to meet the conservation of mass are not specified.
A balanced chemical reaction satisfies the law of conservation of mass;
CONCLUSION: Thus by knowing the relative proportions of reactants and products we can calculate the mass of reactants and products from a balanced chemical equation.
