CHEMICAL EQUATION MAKER HOW TO

There are many different ways and systems of doing this, but for all methods, it is important to know how to count the number of atoms in an equation.

CHEMICAL EQUATION MAKER TRIAL

To do this we have to figure out the relative number of molecules of each term expressed by the term's coefficient.īalancing a chemical equation is essentially done by trial and error. We have to make sure that the number of atoms of each particular element in the reactants equals the number of atoms of that same element in the products. We know from the Law of Conservation of Mass (which states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed) that this simply cannot occur. If this were the case, the reaction would be quite spectacular: an aluminum atom would appear out of nowhere, and two (2) iron atoms and one (1) oxygen atom would magically disappear. Since no coefficients are in front of any of the terms, it is easy to assume that one (1) mole of Al and one (1) mole of Fe 30 4 react to form one (1) mole of Al 20 3. This is the case when the equations are not properly balanced. Balancing Chemical EquationsSometimes, however, we have to do some work before using the coefficients of the terms to represent the relative number of molecules of each compound. So, 40grams of calcium makes one mole, 80 grams makes two moles, etc. The atomic or molecularweight of a substance in grams makes up one mole of the substance.For example, calcium has an atomic weight of 40 grams. Thus, you have the same number of moles of AgNO 3, NaCl, AgCl, NaNO 3.Ĭonverting between moles and grams of a substance is often important.This conversion can be easily done when the atomic and/or molecularweights of the substance(s) are known. In the equation above there are no numbers in front of the terms, so each coefficient is assumed to be one (1). Similarily, if you have a mole of carrots, you have 6.023 x 10 23 carrots.

If you have a dozen carrots, you have twelve of them. A mole is similar to a term like a dozen. A mole simply represents Avogadro's number (6.023 x 10 23) of molecules. The MoleGiven the equation above, we can tell the number of moles of reactants and products. The graphic below works to capture most of the concepts described above: For example, in the graphic below, the notation above and below the arrows shows that we need a chemical Fe 2O 3, a temperature of 1000 degrees C, and a pressure of 500 atmospheres for this reaction to occur.

This information, such as a value for temperature, show what conditions need to be present for a reaction to occur. On some occasions, a variety of information will be written above or below the arrows. If no coefficient is shown, a one (1) is assumed. This amount can represent either the relative number of molecules, or the relative number of moles (described below). Finally, the (g) sign means that the compound is a gas.Ĭoefficients are used in all chemical equations to show the relative amounts of each substance present. The (aq) sign stands for aqueous in water and means the compound is dissolved in water. The (l) sign means the substance is a liquid. The (s) sign means that the compound is a solid. Often chemical equations are written showing the state that each substance is in. Since they undergo a chemical process, they are changed fundamentally. The equation shows that the reactants (AgNO 3 and NaCl) react through some process (->) to form the products (AgCl and NaNO 3). In this equation, AgNO 3 is mixed with NaCl. For example:ĪgNO 3(aq) + NaCl(aq) -> AgCl (s) + NaNO 3(aq) You will have a chance to review naming schemes, or nomenclature, in a later reading.Ī chemical equation is an expression of a chemical process. We call chlorine 'chloride' in this case because of its connection to sodium. To represent a molecule of table salt, sodium chloride, we would use the notation 'NaCl', where 'Na' represents sodium and 'Cl' represents chlorine. For example, the symbol 'C'represents an atom of carbon, and 'H' represents an atom of hydrogen. Successin chemistry depends upon developing a strong familiarity with these basic symbols. What is a chemical equation?In chemistry, we use symbols to represent the various chemicals. Given enough information, one can use stoichiometry to calculate masses, moles, and percents within a chemical equation. Chemical StoichiometryStoichiometry is the accounting, or math, behind chemistry.

Chemical equation maker