In Chemistry, an equation represents what occurs in a chemical reaction:
LHS –> RHS
Reactants –> Product(s)
3 types:
? Word Equation
? Chemical Equation
? Ionic Equation
For Chemical Equation –> Using Chemical Formulae to represent a reaction known to take place.
Step 1: Write down the Chemical Formulae of reactant & products.
Na + Cl2 –> NaCl ——- Balanced???
Step 2: Check the number of atoms of each element on both sides.
Above equation is not balanced. An equation is balanced when there is equal number of atoms if each element on both sides of the equation.
Step 3: Balance the Equation.
The 4 RULES of balancing chemical equations:
? Start with balance of Group 1/2/Transition Metals
? Balance Non-metals atoms
? Balance all Oxygen atoms
? Balance Hydrogen atoms
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If you follow the steps above, you should be able to get the following balanced equation:
2Na + Cl2 –> 2NaCl
Step 4: Add the State Symbol
2Na (s) + Cl2 (g) –> 2NaCl (aq)
The balanced equation shows 2 atoms of sodium metal react with 1 molecule of chlorine gas to form 2 units of sodium chloride salt.
For state symbols, there are 4 types:
(s) solid state
(l) liquid state
(g ) gaseous state
(aq) aqueous state,dissolved in water
Hope you find this introduction to Mole Calculation useful to you.
NDeh yvan says
I not sure that those are all the steps because in class the teacher told us that before balancing an equation we should first of all exchange their their formula so excuse me for those thoughts.