ILMESTERS ACADEMY

MYP-4
CHEMISTRY
Date: ______________________

Balancing Chemical Equations

How to Balance Chemical Equations:

1. Reactants go on the left hand side and products go on the right hand side of a chemical equation.
Be sure to write the correct formulas for the reactants and products.
• Remember atoms are conserved in a chemical reaction. i.e. they are neither created or
destroyed. So all the atoms in the reactants must end up somewhere among the products.

2. Count the number of atoms of each element, compound or ion in the reactants and products. If
they are not equal proceed further.

3. Balance the atoms one at a time by placing coefficients in front of the formula so that the
numbers of atoms of each element are equal on both sides of the equation. Remember atoms may
exist in an element, compound or ion.
• It is usually easier to start with the atoms that occur in only one substance on each side of the
equation.
• Balance the atoms that occur in compounds before attempting to balance atoms that occur in
elemental form.
e.g. H2, O2 or Cl2
• To make it easier if a polyatomic ion appears unchanged on both sides of the equation treat it
as a whole unit.
• When no coefficient is written in front of a formula it is assumed to be 1.
4. Numbers appearing in the formulas are known as subscripts. These can never be changed when
balancing the equation or you will change the identity of the substance.
• Remember with subscripts, any number to the right of parentheses multiplies each subscript
within the parentheses.
E.g. Fe2(SO4)3 contains 2 Fe atoms, 3 S atoms and 12 O atoms.

5. Finally make sure that all the coefficients are in the smallest possible whole number ratio.
Example: Let us try to balance the following equation: Al + O2 -----> Al2O3
When aluminium reacts with oxygen, aluminium oxide is created. As you notice, in the
aluminium oxide molecule there are two aluminium atoms and three oxygen atoms. They do not
come out of nowhere so must have been present in the reactants too; this equation needs to be
balanced.
 ILMESTERS ACADEMY
MYP-4
CHEMISTRY
Step 1: Make sure you have the same aluminium atoms on the left as on the right, so add the
coefficient 2 to the aluminium on the left:
2Al + O2 ----> Al2O3
Step 2: Now you need to balance the oxygen atoms. Think about the smallest number possible
by which you can multiply 2 (as in O2) and 3 (as in Al2O3) in order to get the same number. -
Multiplying the O2 by 2 would not do as it would give 4 oxygen, not three –
Multiplying O2 by three and Al2O3 by 2 would give us on both sides 6 oxygen atoms, so the
same. Oxygen is balanced.
2Al + 3O2 ------------ 2Al2O3
Step 3: As you noticed, you just unbalanced aluminium again, you have 2 on the left and 4 on
the right. Simply add the coefficient 4 to the aluminium at the left to correct the problem.
4Al + 3O2 ---------------- 2Al2O3
Reactants: 4 x Al and 6 x O2 Product: 4 x Al and 6 x O2
THE EQUATION IS BALANCED

Practice Task:

1.         H2 +   O2 →   H2O

2.         H2 +   N2 →   NH3

3.         Al2O3 →   Al +   O2

4.         KClO3 →   KCl +   O2

5.         S8 +   O2 →   SO2

6.         C2H6 +   O2 →   CO2 +   H2O

7.         Al2(SO4)3 +   Ca(OH)2 →   Al(OH)3 +   CaSO4

 ILMESTERS ACADEMY
MYP-4
CHEMISTRY
8.         P4 +   O2 →   P2O5

9.         Ag +   S8 →   Ag2S

10.         Al +   Br2 →   AlBr3

11.         Cr +   O2 →   Cr2O3

12.         NaClO3 →   NaCl +   O2

13.         AlBr3 +   Cl2 →   AlCl3 +   Br2

14.         Na +   H2O →   NaOH +   H2

15.         AlI3 +   HgCl2 →   AlCl3 +   HgI2

16.         Ca(OH)2 +   H3PO4 →   Ca3(PO4)2 +   H2O

17.         AgNO3 +   K3PO4 →   Ag3PO4 +   KNO3

18.         C3H8 +   O2 →   CO2 +   H2O

19.         C2H2 +   O2 →   CO2 +   H2O

20.         C6H6 +   O2 →   CO2 +   H2O