Lesson 7: Introduction to Balancing Chemical Equations
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Last updated over 2 years ago
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Balancing Chemical Equations
Objectives: Students will...
explain what chemists mean when they say an equation is balanced.
balance chemical equations.
Part 1: PhET Simulation
To start investigating how to balance chemical equations, spend a few minutes playing with the 'Introduction' screen in the simulation below. Make sure to check out the tools and figure out what they do.
DIRECTIONS: Once you're done exploring the 'Introduction' screen, use the simulation to answer questions 1-5 .
Question 1
1.
Question 2
2.
Question 3
3.
Question 4
4.
Question 5
5.
Question 6
6.
Question 7
7.
Question 8
8.
Question 9
9.
Examine equation a and equation b below. Both are balanced, but equation b is the correct way to write a balanced equation:
Answer the following questions:
What is the relationship between the coefficients in equations a and b?
Why is equation b considered the correct way to write the balanced chemical equation?
Question 10
10.
Play Level 1 of the Balancing Equation game.
Take a screenshot of your score and put it in the 'Show Your Work' box below. (Don't know how to take a screenshot? Click here to find out how!)
Write down two strategies that you used to balance chemical equations.
Question 11
11.
Play Level 2 of the Balancing Equation game.
Take a screenshot of your score and put it in the 'Show Your Work' box below. (Don't know how to take a screenshot? Click here to find out how!)
What do you find most difficult about balancing chemical equations so far?
Question 12
12.
Play Level 3 of the Balancing Equation game.
Take a screenshot of your score and put it in the 'Show Your Work' box below. (Don't know how to take a screenshot? Click here to find out how!)
Are there any other strategies you found for balancing?
Balance the 'Make Ammonia' reaction. How many total molecules are on the reactants and products side?
Reactants: 2 molecules; Products: 1 molecule
Reactants: 4 molecules; Products: 2 molecules
Reactants: 3 molecules; Products: 2 molecules
Reactants: 8 molecules; Products: 8 molecules
Balance the 'Make Ammonia' reaction. How many total atoms are on the reactants and products side?
Reactants: 2 atoms; Products: 1 atoms
Reactants: 4 atoms; Products: 2 atoms
Reactants: 3 atoms; Products: 2 atoms
Reactants: 8 atoms; Products: 8 atoms
Balance the 'Separate Water' reaction. How many total molecules and how many total atoms are on each side of the balanced equation?
2 molecule
3 molecules
6 molecules
1 atom
2 atoms
3 atoms
6 atoms
9 atoms
Reactant side
Product side
Balance the 'Combustion of Methane' reaction. How many total molecules and how many total atoms are on each side of the balanced equation?
1 molecule
2 molecules
3 molecules
1 atom
2 atoms
4 atoms
6 atoms
9 atoms
Reactant side
Product side
Which of the following statements about balanced chemical equations is correct?
The number of atoms on the reactant side is always equal to the number of atoms on the products side.
The number of molecules and atoms are always equal to each other on both sides of the chemical equation.
The number of molecules on the reactant side is always equal to the number of molecules on the products side.
Neither the number of atoms or the number of molecules needs to be equal between reactants and products.
Consider the equation from the 'Making Ammonia' example:
What are the numbers in green and blue called, and what do they represent?
Coefficients
Subscripts
The number of molecules involved in the reaction
The number of a specific type of atom.
Green Numbers
Blue Numbers
Which of the following coefficients could you use in a balanced chemical equation?
1/2
3/4
1
2
6
Any whole number
Any fraction of a number
If you were balancing an equation containing an O2 molecule, which of the following would be correct representations of O2 and its coefficient?