Balancing equations

Atoms must be conserved!

 Counting Atoms
• How many atoms of each element are in
the following molecules?
1. H2SO4
2. Ca(OH)2
3. NaCl
4. (NH3)3P04
5. 3H2O
6. 4Al2(CO3)3
 Answers
 1. 2 hydrogen, 1 sulfur, 4
oxygen
 2. 1 calcium, 2 oxygen, 2
hydrogen
 3. 1 sodium, 1 chlorine

 4. 3 nitrogen, 9 hydrogen, 1
phosphorus, 4 oxygen
 5. 6 hydrogen, 3 oxygen
 Is this equation
balanced?
• NaCl + H2O  NaOH + Cl2
• left side has 1Na, 1Cl, 2H,
and 1O
• right side has 1Na, 1O, 1H,
and 2Cl
• NO!!!!!! It is not
balanced!!
 Is this equation
balanced?
• HCl + NaOH NaCl+ H2O
• left side has 2H, 1Cl, 1Na,
and 1O
• right side has 1Na, 1Cl, 2H,
and 1O
• Yes!!!!!! It is
balanced!!
 Is this equation
balanced?
• Ca + H2O Ca(OH)2 + H2
• left side has 1Ca, 2H, 1O
• right side has 1Ca, 2O, 4H
• No!!!!!! It is not balanced!!

• How can we make it balance????

Ca + H2O  Ca(OH)2 + H2
 We need more H’s, but we can’t add
just the H atom, we have to add the
entire molecule the H is attached to:
Ca + H2O Ca(OH)2 + H2
H 2O
Count the boxes. These are the
coefficients:
1 Ca + 2 H2O  1 Ca(OH)2 + 1 H2
 1 Ca + 2 H2O  1 Ca(OH)2
+ 1 H2

 Just like in math, this equation may

be written in a simpler way:

 Ca + 2 H2O Ca(OH)2 + H2
(be sure you write the “2” on your worksheet!)
 What is balanced in a
chemical equation?
Three things
are
balanced in
a chemical
equation:
1. Atoms
2. Mass
3. Charge
• For now, you will only be
concerned with balancing atoms.
Remember, the number of atoms
of each element on the reactants
side must equal the number of
atoms of each element on the
products side!
 The End
 Let’s practice!