Balancing chemical equations
Even though chemical compounds are broken up and new compounds are formed during a chemical
reaction, atoms in the reactants do not disappear, nor do new atoms appear to form the products. In
chemical reactions, atoms are never created or destroyed. The same atoms that were present in the
reactants are present in the products—they are merely reorganised into different arrangements.
A general chemical equation has reactants (the materials which the reaction start with), products
(that which the reaction ends up as), the states (liquid, gas, solid) in which the reactants and
products are found, the number of moles (quantities; also called coefficients) of each reactant and
product, and an arrow to indicate the direction in which the reaction proceeds. [Sometimes a double
arrow (⇌) is used, indicating that the reaction is reversible.]
Coefficients and Subscripts
There are two types of numbers that appear in chemical equations: subscripts, which are part of the
chemical formulas of the reactants and products; and coefficients that are placed in front of the
formulas to indicate how many molecules of that substance is used or produced.
reactants product
states of matter
coefficients (numbers of moles)
subscripts
The law of conservation of mass:
In order to balance a chemical equation, it is important to understand the law of conservation of
mass: “The mass of a closed system of substances will remain constant, regardless of the processes
acting inside the system. Matter can change form but cannot be created or destroyed.”
An example is shown below:
For any chemical equation (in a closed system) the mass of the reactants must be equal to the mass
of the products. In order to make sure that this is the case, the number of atoms of each element in
the reactants must be equal to the number of atoms of those same elements in the products.
To calculate the mass of the molecules we use the relative atomic masses for iron and sulphur (from
the Periodic Table). Notice in the example of the formation of iron sulphide above that the mass of
the reactants (Fe and S) equals the mass of the product (FeS).
A chemical equation that is balanced will always reflect the law of conservation of mass and the law
of conservation of atoms.
Steps to balance a chemical equation through inspection:
When balancing a chemical equation, there are a number of steps that need to be followed.
1. Identify the reactants and the products in the reaction and write their chemical formulae.
2. Write the equation by putting the reactants on the left of the arrow and the products on the right.
3. Count the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and the number of atoms of each
element in the products.
4. If the equation is not balanced, change the coefficients of the molecules until the number of atoms of
each element on either side of the equation balance.
5. Check that the atoms are in fact balanced.
EXAMPLE 1:
[Magnesium reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid,
forming magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas]
The reaction is represented by the following UNBALANCED equation: Mg + HCl → MgCl2 + H2
Count the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and products:
Reactants: Mg = 1 atom, H = 1 atom, Cl = 1 atom
Products: Mg = 1 atom, H = 2 atoms, Cl = 2 atoms
Balance the equation:
The equation is not balanced since there are two chlorine atoms in the product and only one in the
reactants. If a coefficient of two is added to the HCl to increase the number of H and Cl atoms in the
reactants, the equation will look like this:
Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2
Check that the atoms are now balanced:
Counting the atoms on each side of the equation, the following is found:
Reactants: Mg = 1 atom, H = 2 atoms, Cl = 2 atoms Products: Mg = 1 atom, H = 2 atoms, Cl=2 atoms
The equation is now balanced. The final equation is Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2
EXAMPLE 2: [Methane burns in oxygen (combustion), forming carbon dioxide and water]
The reaction is represented by the following UNBALANCED equation: CH4 + O2 → CO2 + H2O
Count the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and products
Reactants: C = 1, H = 4, O = 2 Products: C = 1, H = 2, O = 3
Balance the equation:
If we add a coefficient of 2 to H2O, then the number of hydrogen atoms in the products will be 4,
which is the same as for the reactants. The equation will be:
CH4 + O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
Check that the atoms are now balanced:
Reactants: C = 1, H = 4, O = 2 Products: C = 1, H = 4, O = 4
However, at this stage, although the number of hydrogen atoms now balances, there are more
oxygen atoms in the products. Thus, the previous step needs to be repeated. If a coefficient of 2 is
put in front of O2, then the number of oxygen atoms in the reactants is increased by 2. The new
equation is:
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
Now the number of atoms of each element in the reactants is the same as the number in the
products. The equation is now balanced.
WORKED EXAMPLE 3:
In our bodies, sugar (C6H12O6) reacts with the
oxygen we breathe in to produce carbon
dioxide, water and energy.
This is the process of cellular respiration.
The reaction is represented by the following UNBALANCED equation: C6H12O6 + O2 → CO2 + H2O
Count the number of atoms of each element in the reactants and in the products:
Reactants: C = 6, H = 12, O = 8 Products: C = 1, H = 2, O = 3
Balance the equation:
It is easier to start with carbon as it only appears once on each side. Adding a 6 in front of CO2, the
equation looks like this:
C6H12O6 + O2 → 6CO2 + H2O
Check if the atoms are now balanced:
Reactants: C = 6, H = 12, O = 8 Products: C = 6, H = 2, O = 13 [The equation is still NOT BALANCED!]
Change the coefficients again to try balancing the equation. [Change the number of hydrogens now]
C6H12O6 + O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O
Reactants: C = 6, H = 12, O = 8 Products: C = 6, H = 12, O = 18
Next, the number of oxygen atoms needs to be balanced:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O
Final check to see if numbers of atoms for Products and Reactants give a balanced equation:
Reactants: C = 6, H = 12, O = 18 Products: C = 6, H = 12, O = 18
Now the number of atoms of each element in the reactants is the same as the number in the
products. The equation is now balanced.
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Another METHOD to balance a chemical equation:
WORKED EXAMPLE 4: Write a balanced equation for the reaction between nitrogen (N2) and
oxygen(O2) to form dinitrogen pentoxide.
Exercise 1 Answers
1. HgO → Hg + O2 1. 2HgO → 2Hg + O2
2. SO2 + O2 → SO3 2. 2SO2 + O2 → 2SO3
3. Li + O2 → Li2O 3. 4Li + O2 → 2Li2O
4. N2 + H2 → NH3 4. N2 + 3H2 → 2NH3
5. HNO3 → H2O + NO2 + O2 5. 4HNO3 → 2H2O + 4NO2 + O2
6. ZnS + O2 → ZnO + SO2 6. 2ZnS + 3O2 → 2ZnO + 2SO2
7. NH3 + O2 → N2 + H2O 7. 4NH3 + 3O2 → 2N2 + 6H2O
Exercise 2:
2.1 Turn the two picture equations into chemical equations:
● The red circles represent oxygen (O) atoms.
● The white circles represent hydrogen (H) atoms.
● The grey circles represent carbon (C) atoms.
● The yellow circles represent sulfur (S) atoms.
Top picture
Bottom picture
2.2 Write the following chemical equations as word equations [use Stock notation where needed.]
2.2.1 4 Fe + 3 O2 → 2 Fe2O3 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2.2.2 Mg + O2 → 2MgO ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2.3 Write and balance the equations for the following reactions:
2.3.1 Sodium chloride reacts with sulphuric acid to form sodium sulphate and hydrochloric acid.
2.3.2 Magnesium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride, water and
carbon dioxide.
2.3.1
2.3.2
