How do you balance equations?
http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/betha/nealChemBal/
The reactants are written on the left and the products on the right.An arrow pointing towards the product is inserted between the reactant and product.The number of molecules have to be the same in the reactants and product.
Balancing chemical equations involves making sure that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the equation. Here is a step-by-step approach to balance equations:
1. Write down the unbalanced chemical equation, with reactants on the left and products on the right, separated by an arrow.
2. Start by examining the elements that appear in the equation. Count the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.
3. Begin balancing the equation by adjusting coefficients (the numbers in front of each compound or element) to achieve the same number of each type of atom on both sides. Note that you cannot change subscripts, as they represent the identity of the compound.
4. Start with the elements that appear in the fewest compounds and balance them first. Often, hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) are balanced last, as they tend to appear in multiple compounds.
5. Use trial and error to find the coefficients that yield an equal number of atoms on both sides. Remember, the coefficients apply to the entire compound and must be multiplied by the subscripts of each element within the compound.
6. Continue adjusting coefficients until the numbers of atoms on both sides of the equation are equal.
7. Check that all types of atoms are balanced. Additionally, confirm that the coefficients are in their simplest, whole-number ratio.
Online resources and tools can help automate this process. The link you provided (http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/betha/nealChemBal/) is a useful tool that generates step-by-step instructions and provides practice problems to help you practice balancing chemical equations.