Counting Atoms

Balancing Equations
Law of Conservation of Mass
 Counting Atoms
Counting Atoms - Multiply coefficient by subscript
of each element.
•If in parenthesis, the subscript after the
parenthesis is multiplied to the chunk of
everything in the parenthesis than multiplied by
coefficient.
1) 2CrCl3 2) Ba(OH)2 3) 3Ca(ClO3)2
Cr – (2x1) = 2 Ba – 1
Cl – (2 x 3) = 6 O – (2x1) = 2 Ca – (3x1) = 3
H – (2 x 1) = 2 Cl – (2 x 3) = 6
O – (3 x 3 x 2) = 18
 Balancing chemical equations

reactants
1. Every atom in _________becomes part of the
products
___________.
2. Atoms are never ___________
created or _________
destroyed
3. Scientists know that there must be the
same number and type of atoms on each
________
________
side of the equation.
3. Balance by using ____________
coefficients in front of
the chemical formulas because you can not
add or change ___________of
subscripts a correct
formula
 Steps to Balancing Equations
1) Determine the number of atoms for each
element.
2) Pick an element that is not equal on both sides
of the equation.
3) Add a coefficient in front of the formula with
that element and adjust your counts.
4) Continue adding coefficients to get the same
number of atoms of each element on both sides
 Example
Step 1: Determine the number of atoms for each
element.

Mg + O2 MgO

Mg = 1 Mg = 1
O=2 O= 1
 Example
Step 2: Pick an element that is not equal on both
sides of the equation.

Mg + O2 MgO

Mg = 1 Mg = 1 Since the O atoms

are not equal, we’ll
O=2 O= 1 target those first.
 Example
Step 3: Add a coefficient in front of the formula
with the element and adjust your counts.

Mg + O2 2 MgO

Adding a 2 in front
Mg = 1 Mg = 1 2 of MgO will change
the number of
O=2 O= 12 atoms on the
product side of the
equation.
 Example
Step 4: Continue adding coefficients to get the
same number of atoms of each element on each
side.
2 Mg + O2 2 MgO

Mg = 1 2 Mg = 1 2
O=2 O= 12
Now we need to increase the number of Mg atoms we have on
the reactants side. Adding a coefficient 2 in front of Mg will give
us 2 atoms of Mg and balance the equation.
LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MASS
Law of Conservation of mass – MASS CANNOT
BE CREATED OR DESTROYED DURING A
CHEMICAL REACTION.
•The mass of all the REACTANTS combined must
equal the mass of all the PRODUCTS combined
1. Antoine Lavoisier came up with this law
 How does a balanced equation illustrate
the Law of Conservation of Mass

• A balanced chemical equation shows the same

number and kind of atoms in both the
reactants and the products.
• Therefore, the total mass of all the atoms in
the reactants is the same as the total mass of
the same atoms in the products.