Chapter 8: Lesson 2

Chemical Equations
Anne Agda,
Rodrigo Bonilla
Natalie Escobedo,
& Erika Menjivar

Period 3
Mr. Guererro
*Learning Objective:

We will learn how to write a Chemical

equation and understand how to
balance an unbalanced equation
 Conservation of Mass
• Law of Conservation of Mass states that the total mass before a chemical reaction
is the same as the total mass after the reaction.
It is not surprising that there is no mass change in a chemical reaction because
recall that atoms have definite mass
After the reaction, the atoms are linked in different ways but no atoms are lost and
no atoms are gained.

+ +
 Write a Chemical Equation
• In a chemical equation the reactants are the starting materials in a chemical
reaction.

• They’re separated by plus signs ( + ) if there is more than one reactant.

• (  ) The arrow is read as “produces”

• The last materials are the products, which are the new substances that are
formed.
Tin + Oxygen gas  Tin oxide

Reactants Produces Product

 How to Balance a Chemical Equation
Steps to balancing Chemical Equations
 Write the symbols and formulas for the reactants & products.
 Count the number of each kind of atom on both sides.
 Add coefficients to make the number of each atom equivalent on both sides
 Check to see if equation is balanced.

Unbalanced Balanced
K + KNO3  K2O + N2 10K + 2KNO 3  6K2O + N2
Atoms Reactants Products Atoms Reactant Products
K 2 2 s

N 1 2 K 12 12

O 3 1 N 2 2
O 6 6
 Examples
Unbalanced Balanced
Al + Cr2O3  Al2O3 + Cr = 2Al + Cr 2O3  2Al2O3 + 4Cr

Atoms Reactants Products Atoms Reactants Products

Al 1 2 Al 2 3
Cr 2 1 Cr 4 4
O 3 3 O 6 6

Unbalanced Balanced
NaCl + H2O  NaOH + Cl2 + H2 = 2NaCl + 2H2O  2NaOH + Cl2 + H2

Atoms Reactants Products Atoms Reactants Products

Na 1 1 Na 2 2
Cl 1 2 Cl 2 2
H 2 3 H 4 4
O 1 1 O 2 2