3.1.5

Equations & Formula

Test yourself

Balancing Chemical Equations

Chemical equations must be balanced to make sure that there are the same number of atoms of each element before and after a reaction. The reaction of hydrogen with oxygen to make water will be used as an example of how to do this:

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Unbalanced equation

  • The unbalanced symbol equation for this reaction is:
    • H2 + O2 → H2O
  • The equation is unbalanced because there are 2 atoms of oxygen on the left hand side of the equation, but only 1 on the right hand side.
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Still unbalanced equation

  • We can increase the number of oxygen atoms on the right hand side by adding an H2O molecule:
    • H2 + O2 → 2H2O
  • However, the equation is still unbalanced as there are now more hydrogen atoms on the right hand side than on the left hand side.
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Balanced equation

  • The final step is to add an H2 molecule to the left hand side:
    • 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O
  • Our equation is now balanced.

Molecular vs Empirical Formula

The molecular formula shows the actual amount of atoms which make up a molecule. The empirical formula shows the simplest ratio of atoms which make up a molecule.

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Molecular formula

  • The molecular formula shows the actual amount of atoms which make up a molecule.
    • E.g. glucose = C6H12O6
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Empirical formula

  • The empirical formula shows the simplest ratio of atoms which make up a molecule.
    • E.g. glucose = CH2O

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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