Balancing Chemical Equations
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, mass can neither be created nor destroyed. The number of atoms of each element must remain the same before and after the reaction.
Steps to Balance
- List the number of atoms of each element on LHS and RHS.
- Start balancing the compound with the maximum number of atoms.
- Balance metals first, then non-metals, then hydrogen, and lastly oxygen.
Practice:
Fe + H₂O → Fe₃O₄ + H₂
Balanced: 3Fe + 4H₂O → Fe₃O₄ + 4H₂
Types of Chemical Reactions
- Combination Reaction:
A + B → AB(e.g., Burning of Coal) - Decomposition Reaction:
AB → A + B(e.g., Heating Limestone) - Displacement Reaction:
A + BC → AC + B(More reactive displaces less reactive) - Double Displacement: Exchange of ions.