Which condition must be met in order for an equation to be balanced?
A. The elements in the reactants are the same as the elements in the products.
B. There are fewer elements in the reactants than there are in the products.
C. The number of atoms in the reactants is greater than the number of atoms in the products.
D. The number of atoms in the reactants equals the number of atoms in the products.
Please help. I'm a bit confused, but I think the answer is A. am I right?
Nvm, the answer was D.
right. D
Correct
Lol :3
To balance an equation, you need to ensure that the number of atoms on both sides of the equation is equal. This means that the total number of each type of atom (element) on the left side (reactants) must equal the total number of the same type of atom on the right side (products).
Let's consider each option:
A. The elements in the reactants are the same as the elements in the products. This statement is not sufficient on its own to balance an equation because it doesn't consider the quantity (number of atoms) of each element.
B. There are fewer elements in the reactants than there are in the products. This statement is not accurate for balancing an equation. The quantity of elements may differ, but the total number of atoms must be equal on both sides.
C. The number of atoms in the reactants is greater than the number of atoms in the products. This statement is not accurate as well. The total number of atoms on both sides should be equal.
D. The number of atoms in the reactants equals the number of atoms in the products. This condition is the correct answer to your question. For the equation to be balanced, the total number of atoms of each element in the reactants must be the same as the total number of atoms of the same element in the products.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. The number of atoms in the reactants equals the number of atoms in the products.