Chemistry

L8 Balancing Chemical
Equations
 Teacher Instructions
This lesson has to be heavily scaffolded and take two lessons.
Starter - Talk about the pictures which show chemical reactions then lead into how we can tell a chemical reaction has taken place. As
a reminder from Lesson 1.
Then from the L7 lesson students will move on from word equations to chemical equations.
First explain how the chemical symbols/numbers work and re-introduce them to the periodic table from Year 7 to get used to how
elements are written (main focus only on first 20 or so elements if possible).
Students are then guided through conservation of mass and then ‘adding/counting’ the atoms on both sides of the example equations.
(slide 19-20)
Then there are a few ways to introduce balancing: 1. Video with table method (slide 21 – 25); 2. Seesaw method (Slide 26-38); 3.
Mathematical approach (Slide 39-40)
Choose one or two methods to discuss then students can try the first worksheet answers for first activity are in ppt.
Lesson 2.
You can quickly recap what was done in previous lesson and then go through the other methods that weren’t covered in the last
lesson and then students can try the simulation and then give the students the extra practice questions worksheet. Ideally, once they
get through the first worksheet between two classes they have meet the objective. Some students will need an extra push and some
will not need it.
Today’s big question

HOW DO WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT

BALANCING A CHEMICAL EQUATION?
Today’s Objectives Key Word Bank
Chemical Change

Chemical Formula

Element
Describe the changes in a chemical reaction
Atom

Balance
Know how to write chemical formula and element symbols

Identify chemical equations for simple reactions of acids

Know how to balance chemical equations for simple

reactions
5
Evidence of chemical reactions: what to look out for

See huge flames… or tiny sparks

Evidence of chemical reactions: what to look out for

Notice a sweet smell… or a foul stench

Evidence of chemical reactions: what to look out for

Feel the chemicals getting hotter… or colder

Evidence of chemical reactions: what to look out for

Hear a loud bang… or gentle fizzing

 MATCH THE CHEMICALS
WITH THEIR FORMULA
Oxygen gas CO
Carbon dioxide NaCl
Carbon monoxide HCl
Glucose CO2
Hydrochloric acid H2O2
Hydrogen peroxide C6H12O6
Sodium chloride O2
 DESCRIBING CHEMICAL REACTIONS WITH
EQUATIONS
 Chemical equations tell us what happens to chemical substances during a reaction. All reactions

show the transition from reactants into products:

Reactants —> Products

 Chemical reactions can be word equations, e.g.:

hydrogen + oxygen —> water

 Or symbol equations, e.g.:

H2 + O2 —> 2H2O
This is an example of hydrogen reacting with oxygen:
 Symbol equations must be balanced The Hindenburg Disaster of 1937
 BALANCING
EQUATIONS – KEY
CONCEPTS
THE NUMBER OF ATOMS AND MOLECULES IS
DENOTED WITH DIFFERENT STYLES OF
NUMBERING
2H2O
Coefficients multiply the whole
formula (everything after the
number) – so two molecules of
H2O
Subscripts and the chemical
symbols make up the chemical
formula of a substance (in this
case it is the formula for a water
molecule)
Subscripts multiply the atoms of
the element before the number –
so 2 atoms of hydrogen in H2O
 RULES ABOUT CHEMICAL
FORMULAE
 There are reasons that atoms form into certain
compounds – it is mostly to do with the
arrangement of each atom’s electrons
 You will learn about the reasons later in your
science studies – but for now it is best just to learn
the most common chemical formulae
 When given an equation to balance you need to
make sure that you don’t change any of the
chemical formulae – you balance equation by
multiplying a chemical formula with coefficients
 Examples incoming…
KEY CONCEPT:
CONSERVATION OF MASS
 It is important to remember that in a chemical reaction:

mass of reactants at start = mass of products at the end

 This means that if you react 4g of hydrogen gas with 32g of oxygen

gas, 36g of water will be produced

 This is the law of conservation of mass.

 WHAT ELSE IS
CONSERVED DURING
A CHEMICAL
REACTION?
THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF ATOMS ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE EQUATION MUST BE EQUAL

2H2 + O2  2H2O
reactants  products
4H; 2O  4H; 2O
ACTIVITY: COUNT THE NUMBER OF ATOMS ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION – WHAT DO YOU
NOTICE?
Number and types of Number and types of
Equation
atom on reactant side atom on product side

4 H’s and 2O‘s 4 H’s and 2O‘s

2H2 + O2 —> 2H2O

2H2O2 —> 2H2O + O2 4 H’s and 4O‘s 4 H’s and 4O‘s

4Al + 3O2 —> 2Al2O3 4 Al’s and 6O‘s 4 Al’s and 6O‘s

6 C’s, 12 H’s and 6 C’s, 12 H’s and

C6H12O6 + 6O2 —> 6CO2 + 6H2O
18O‘s 18O‘s
Balancing Chemical Equations
One carbon atom and two oxygen atoms react.
C O O

How many atoms are in the product?

O C O
 C + O2  CO2

C O O O C O
How Will Our See-Saw Look?

C + Cl2  CCl4
Cl
Cl C Cl
C Cl Cl Cl
 It’s a Bit Product Heavy

C + 2Cl2  CCl4
Cl C
l
C Cl
Cl C
l
Cl C Cl
Cl
 Now everything balances!

C + 2Cl2  CCl4
Cl
Cl Cl Cl C Cl
C Cl Cl Cl
 Is this balanced?
Oxygen in the air reacting with a form of sulfur that has 8 sulfur
atoms bonded together, to make sulfur dioxide:

4O2 + S8  8SO2
How will the see-saw look here?

4O2 + S8  8SO2

S S S O
S
S S S O
S S
O O
 O
How can we change this?
O

O
S

S
O
O

S
S

O
4O2 + S8 O8SO2 O

O
S S O
O
S O O
S S S O
S=8 S O
O=2 S S S O
S S
O O S=1 S=8
O = 2 O = 16
O O O O
8O2 + S8  8SO2 S=8
O O O O O = 16
O O O O O
O S O
S
O O S S S O

O
O
S
O O S S S O

S
O
S

O
O

O
S S O
S

S
S=8 O O
S=8

O
O=2 S
O = 16 O
O O 8O2 + S8  8SO2

O
O O

O S
O O O S O

S O
O O O O O S O
O O

O
S S S O S O

O
O O S S S O S O

S
O O S S O S O

O
S=8 S=8
O = 16 O = 16
 Balance This Equation

Ag + S8  Ag2S
S
S
S
S A g
Ag = 1 S Ag
S=8 S
S Ag = 2
S
S S=1
Ag
 Balance This Equation

2 Ag + S8  Ag2S
S
S
S
S A g
Ag = 2 S Ag
S=8 S
S Ag = 2
S
S S=1
Ag
Ag
 S
Balance This Equation S g
g A
A g A
2 Ag + S8  8 Ag2SS Ag S
S A g
A g A g A g
S A g A g S
S S
S g g
S A A g g A
S Ag A g A
S
S
Ag = 2 S
S
S=8 Ag
Ag Ag = 16
S=8
 Balance This Equation
Ag S
Ag
Ag
16 Ag + S8  8 Ag2S S
g A g
Ag Ag A g A
Ag Ag S
Ag Ag Ag S
S S S S A g
Ag g A g
Ag g A A g
Ag Ag S S S S A S Ag S
Ag
Ag S S A g A g A g
Ag = 16 Ag A g A g A g
S=8
Ag = 16
S=8
A beginners guide to balancing
Just count up the atoms on each side

Mg + O2  MgO
1 Mg 1
2 O 1
The numbers aren’t balanced so then add “BIG”
numbers to make up for any shortages
Mg + O2  2 MgO
1 Mg 1 2
O
2 1 2
And adjust totals
 But the numbers still aren’t equal, so add
another “BIG” number

2 Mg + O2  2 MgO
2 1 Mg 2
O 2
2
And adjust totals again

NOW BOTH SIDES HAVE EQUAL

NUMBERS OF ATOMS

WE SAY THAT THE

EQUATION IS BALANCED!!
PRACTICE PROBLEMS –
BALANCE THESE EQUATIONS

4P +5O2 2P2O5
2NaCl + 2F  NaF + Cl
2 2
2 2
CH + O  CO + H O
4 2 2 2
2 1 2

3 1 2

4 3 2

2 4 3

1 5 2
PLENARY
Write down one example of each of the following in your
books:
1. One piece of evidence of a chemical reaction
happening
2. The Chemical symbol for an element
3. The Chemical formula for a substance
 POSSIBLE START
TO LESSON TWO –
PRACTICE LESSON
 PHET SIMULATION
You will use this simulation to guide you in balancing some more equations: https://phet.colorado.edu
/sims/html/balancing-chemical-equations/latest/balancing-chemical-equations_en.html

Use tools, select the scales to help you balance the When you have completed the equations, you
Load it up and select introduction three equations can challenge yourself with the balancing
Send screenshots of your completed screenshots game!
 THERE ARE SOME MORE
PRACTICE PROBLEMS ON
THE FINAL SLIDE – YOU
SHOULD ONLY DO THESE
IF YOU HAVE TIME LEFT IN
THE LESSON (YOU DO NOT
NEED TO COMPLETE THEM
ALL!)
 Fe + H2SO4  FeSO4 + H2

Take it to the Mg + HNO3  Mg(NO3)2 + H2

next level?

Ca + HCl  CaCl2 + H2
 d
nce
Fe + H2SO4  FeSO4 + H2 B al a

Take it to the Mg + 2 HNO3  Mg(NO3)2 + H2 ce

d
n
next level? B al a

d
Ca + 2 HCl  CaCl2 + H2 nce
B al a
EXTRA BALANCING PRACTICE
Level 1
N2+H2  NH3
KClO3  KCl + O2
NaCl + F2  NaF + Cl2
H2 + O 2  H2O
H 2 O + O 2  H 2 O2
NaBr + CaF2  NaF + CaBr2
Pb(OH)2 + HCl  H2O + PbCl2
CH4 + O2  CO2 + H2O
C3H8 + O2  CO2 + H2O
P + O2  P2O5
Ag2O  Ag + O2
Level 2
S8 + O2  SO3
K + MgBr  KBr + Mg
CO2 + H2O  C6H12O6 + O2
FeCl3 + NaOH  Fe(OH)3 + NaCl
Na + H2O  NaOH + H2
AlBr3 + K2SO4  KBr + Al2(SO4)3
C8H18 + O2  CO2 + H2O
HCl + CaCO3  CaCl2 + H2O + CO2
HNO3 + NaHCO3  NaNO3 + H2O + CO2
H2SO4 + NaNO2  HNO2 + Na2SO4