Balancing Chemical Equations

Lab Brief #4

🎯 Your mission

Master the concept. Use it tomorrow.

⚡ The twist

Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.

What you'll learn

Atoms are rearranged in a reaction, never created or destroyed, so every element must appear in equal numbers on both sides. Balance by adjusting the big numbers in front of formulae only — changing a subscript changes the substance itself.

Key words

balanced equation
An equation with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides.
coefficient
The large number written in front of a formula to balance an equation.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Think about what you just learned: say what "balanced equation" and "coefficient" mean in your own words before you start.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Balance twelve equations of increasing difficulty, ending with the combustion of propane and the reaction of aluminium with copper sulfate. Verify each by tallying atoms in a two-column table.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.

Question 1 of 2

To balance an equation you may change only the:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 2

Balancing works because atoms in a reaction are:

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 2 right.

Next: Reacting Mass Calculations All lessons

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”

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Balancing Chemical Equations

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