NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and Sciences

Basic Skill Review

Module 1.2: BALANCING CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

What do you expect to learn

in this module?
❖ Nature of Chemical
Equations
❖ Balancing Chemical
Equations

Figure A. The combustion (burning) of methane (CH 4) with oxygen

(O2) produces mainly carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).
Methane is the main component of natural gas.

In this module, we will learn how to balance “Chemical Equations”. Balancing chemical
equations “by inspection” is a trial-and-error approach. It requires a great deal of practice, but it is
very important! Remember that we use the smallest whole-number coefficients. Some chemical
equations are difficult to balance by inspection or “trial and error”.
Section 2.1 Chemical Equations
Chemical reactions always involve changing one or more substances into one or more different
substances. In other words, chemical reactions rearrange atoms or ions to form other substances.
Chemical equations are used to describe chemical reactions, and they show the following:
1. The substances that react, called reactants.
2. The substances formed, called products.
3. The relative amounts of the substances involved.
We write the REACTANTS to the LEFT OF AN
ARROW and the products to the RIGHT OF THE
ARROW. The numbers placed in front of compounds in a
chemical equation are called coefficients and represent the
number of molecules (or formula units) of each reactant or
product needed to balance the equation. As a typical
example, let’s consider the combustion (burning) of natural
gas as observed in Figure C, a reaction used to heat
buildings and cook food. Natural gas is a mixture of several Figure B. Sides of a chemical reaction. The
substances, but the principal component is methane, CH4. reactants are always on the left side while the
Figure B shows the parts of reactants vs. products. products were always on the right side.

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Figure C. Chemical Equation Showing the

Combustion of a Methane

How do we interpret this equation? In the simplest terms, it tells us that methane reacts with oxygen
to produce carbon dioxide, CO2, and water. More specifically, it says that for every CH4 molecule
that reacts, two molecules of O2 also react, and that one CO2 molecule and two H2O molecules
are formed. It is shown in Figure D.

Figure D. Balanced Chemical Reaction of the Combustion of a

Methane
This description of the reaction of CH4 with O2 is based on experimental observations. Many
experiments have shown that when one CH4 molecule reacts with two O2 molecules, one CO2
molecule and two H2O molecule are formed. Chemical equations are based on experimental
observations. Special conditions required for some reactions are indicated by a notation above or
below the arrow.

The Law of Conservation of Energy states that there is no detectable change in the quantity of
matter during an ordinary chemical equation. This guiding principle is the basis for
“BALANCING” chemical equations and for performing calculations based on those
equations. Because matter is created nor destroyed during chemical reaction.
a balanced chemical equation must always include the same number of
each kind of atom on both sides of the equation

Chemist usually write equations with the smallest possible whole-number coefficients. Before we
attempt to balance an equation, all substances must be represented by formulas that describe them
as they exist. For instance, we must write H2 to represent diatomic molecules – not H, which
represents individual hydrogen atoms, which are unstable and do not exist by themselves under

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normal conditions. Once the correct formulas are written, the subscripts in the formulas may not
be changed. Different subscripts in formulas specify different substances, so changing the formula
would mean that the equation would no longer describe the same reaction.

Figure D. Three representations of the reaction of methane with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.
Chemical bonds are broken and new ones are formed in each representation. Part A illustrates the reaction using
ball-and-stick models, Part B uses chemical formulas and Part C uses space filling models.

Figure E. Coefficients and Subscripts in a Chemical Reaction.

The reaction is a simple hydrolysis.
Figure E shows what COEFFICIENTS and SUBSCRIPTS are in a chemical reaction. In a
compound, the coefficient and subscript will be multiplied with one another to obtain the total
number of atoms for that element. Separate elements will simply be added. In the above example,
the total number of hydrogen atoms were four on the reactant side (coefficient of two multiplied
by subscript of two) added to four on the product side (coefficient of two multiplied by

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subscript of two). On the other hand, the total number of Oxygen is two on the reactant side,
and two on the product side (coefficient of two multiplied to the subscript of one).

Section 2.2 Calculations Involving Balancing Chemical Equations

Example 1.1 Balancing Combustion of Dimethyl Ether

Dimethyl ether, C2H6O, burns in an excess of oxygen to give carbon dioxide and water. Let us
balance the equation for this reaction. In unbalanced form, the equation is

Carbon appears in only one compound on each side, and the same is true for hydrogen. We begin
by balancing these elements. The subscripts on the carbon and hydrogen atoms in C2H6O guide
us in assigning the coefficients on the product side:

Now we have a different total number of oxygen atoms on each side: 3 on the reactant side and 7
on the product side. We now need to balance the oxygen count by adding 4 more oxygen atoms to
the reactant side. This is done by adding 2 more O2 molecules (total of 4 oxygen atoms) to the one
already present giving a total of 3O2 molecules on the reactant side:

When we think we have finished the balancing, we should always do a complete check that the
total number of atoms for each of the elements on the reactant side matches that found on the
product side of the equation.

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Example 2.2 Balancing a Fractional Coefficient

Let us examine a reaction that produces a fractional coefficient. Butane, C4H10, is used in many
lighters. The combustion reaction with O2 is initially written in unbalanced form as:

Once again, carbon only appears in one compound on each side and the same is true for hydrogen.
We begin by balancing these elements. The subscripts on the carbon and hydrogen atoms in C4H10
guide us in assigning the coefficients on the product side.

There are different total number of O atoms on each side: 2 on the reactant and 13 on the product
side. We need to balance the oxygen count by adding 11 oxygen atoms to the reactant side. This
is done by adding 1 ½ = 5.5 molecule to the one that is currently there, giving a total of 6 ½ or 6.5
O2 molecules on the reactant side:

Although this is considered a properly balanced equation, many chemists do not ordinarily use
fractional coefficients in chemical equations. To convert the fractional coefficient into an integer
value, one simply multiplies the entire balanced equation by the proper integer value to convert
the fractional value into the smallest integer value. In this case, one would multiply the entire
equation by a factor of 2 to produce the final balanced equation with all integer coefficients:

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Example 2.3 More on Balancing Chemical Equations

Let us generate the balanced equation for the reaction of aluminum metal with hydrogen chloride
to produce aluminum chloride and hydrogen. The unbalanced “equation” is:

As it now stands, the “equation” does not satisfy the Law of Conservation of Matter because there
are two H atoms in the H2 molecule and three Cl atoms in one formula unit of AlCl3 (product side),
but only H atom and one atom Cl atom in the HCl molecule (reactant side).

Let’s first balance chlorine by putting a coefficient of 3 in front of HCl.

Now there are 3H on the left and 2H on the right. We can add hydrogen only as two atoms at a
time (as H2) on the product side. So, we need to find the least common multiple of 3 and 2, which
is 6, in order to balance the H atoms. To get a total of 6H atoms on each side, we multiply the
3HCL by 2 and the lone H2 by 3. This now gives

Now Cl is again unbalanced (6Cl on the left, 3Cl on the right), but we can fix this by putting a
coefficient of 2 in front of AlCl3 on the product side.

Now all elements except Al are balanced (1Al on the left, 2Al on the right); we complete the
balancing by putting a coefficient of 2 in front of Al on the reactant side

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Problem Solving Tip Balancing Chemical Equations
There is no one best place to start when balancing a chemical equation, but the following
suggestions might be helpful:
1. Look for elements that appear in only one place on each side of the equation (in only one
reactant and in only one product), and balance those elements first.
2. A good starting point is usually to pick a pair of compounds with a common element.
Then focus on the compound with the largest subscript for the element in question to see
if you can use that subscript as the coefficient for the other compound.
3. If free, uncombined elements appear on either side, balance them last.
Notice how these suggestions worked in the procedures illustrated in this section. Above all,
remember that we should never change subscripts in formulas, because doing so would describe
different substances. We adjust only the coefficients to balance the equation.

Example 2.4 Balancing Chemical Equations

Plan
For each equation, we balance one element at a time by inspection, making sure that there are the
same numbers of each type of element on the reactant and product sides of the equations.

(a) Let’s first balance P

Now we need 10 more Cl atoms on the reactant side. But Cl2 comes in increments of 2Cl atoms,
so we need 5 more Cl2 molecules, or a total of 6Cl2:

(b) We can first balance Rb

We see that each side now has 2Rb, 1S, 2H and 4O, so the equation is balanced.

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(c) Let us balance P first. There are two P on the right and 4P on the left, so we multiply
Ca3(PO4)2 by 2.

Next we can balance Ca by multiplying Ca(OH)2 by 6.

Now we see that there are 12H on the left and only 2H on the right, so we multiply H2O by 6.

Checking the O balance, we see that there are (10 + (2 × 6)) = 22O on the left and ((2 × 4 × 2) +
(6 × 1)) = 22O on the right. All other elements are also balanced so the equation is balanced.

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WORKSHEET 1.2

Direction: Balance the following chemical equation by providing the correct coefficients
from the space provided.

1. __Na + __O2 → __Na2O

2. __Mg3N2 + __H2O → __NH3 + __Mg(OH)2

3. __LiCl + __Pb(NO3)2 → __PbCl2 + __LiNO3

4. __H2O + __KO2 → __KOH + __O2

5. __H2SO4 + NH3 → (NH3)2SO4

6. __Na + __O2 → __Na2O2

7. __P4 + __O2 → __P4O10

8. __Ca(HCO3)2 + __Na2CO3 → __CaCO3 + __NaHCO3

9. __NH3 + __O2 → __NO + __H2O

10. __Rb + __H2O → __RbOH + __H2

11. __Fe2O3 + __CO → __Fe + __CO2

12. __Rb + __H2O → __RbOH + __H2

13. __K + __KNO3 → __K2O + __N2

14. __(NH4)2Cr2O7 → __N2 + __H2O + __Cr2O3

15. __Al + __Cr2O3 → __Al2O3 + __Cr

The greatest sign of success of a teacher is to be able to say

“The children are now working as if I did not exist”

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