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AREA/PROJECT: Química/ Chemistry TERM: Primero/ First

ACTIVITY: Balancing chemical Equations worksheet GRADE: Noveno / Ninth
NOMBRE DE ESTUDIANTE/STUDENT´S NAME:
Balancing a Chemical Equation
Identifying a Balanced Chemical Equation

When a reaction takes place, the bonds between the

atoms of the reactants are broken and new bonds are
formed to give the products. All atoms are conserved,
which means that atoms cannot be gained, lost, or
changed into other types of atoms during a chemical
reaction. Every chemical reaction must be written as a
balanced equation, which shows the same number of
atoms for each element in the reactants as well as in
the products. For example, the chemical equation for
burning carbon is balanced because there is one carbon
atom and two oxygen atoms in both the reactants and
the products:

EXERCISES

Now consider the reaction in which hydrogen reacts

with oxygen to form water. The formulas of the
reactants and products are written as follows:

H 2 ( g )+O 2 ( g ) → H 2 O ( g )
When we add up the atoms of each element on each
side, we find that the equation is not balanced. There
are two oxygen atoms to the left of the arrow, but only
one to the right. To balance this equation, we place
whole numbers called coefficients in front of the
formulas. If we write a coefficient of 2 in front of the H 2O
formula, it represents two molecules of water. Because
the coefficient multiplies all the atoms in H 2O, there are
now four hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms in the
products. To obtain four atoms of hydrogen in the
reactants, we must write a coefficient of 2 in from of the
formula H2. However, we do not change subscripts,
which would alter the chemical identity of a reactant or
product. Now the number of hydrogen atoms and the
number of oxygen atoms are the same in the reactants
as in the products. The equation is balanced.

5.32: Solve the exercise 1-2 from Chemistry book on

page 126 (Active learning Questions).

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