Introduction to

Balancing Equations
A representation of a chemical Small to the right
reaction that uses symbols to
show the relationship between Big to the left
reactants and products

YIELDS (equals)

What you start with- What you end with/

goes into a reaction what is produced
The law of Combination
conservation of Decomposition
matter says that Single replacement
matter cannot
be created or Double replacement
destroyed combustion
• No
• Subscript: • Parentheses: • Subscript
subscripts
means distribute AND
means
that the subscript coefficient:
that each
element into () and distribute
element
closest multiply and multiply
only has 1
has that subscript
atom
many • Mg= 1 first THEN
atoms • O= 2 multiply by
• C=1
• H= 2 coefficient
• C=1 • O= 2x3= 6
• O= 2 • H= 2x3= 6
Ca- 1 Ca- 1

O- 2 O- 1

N- 2 N- 1

H- 2 H- 3
 Balancing Equations

____P₄O₁₀ + _____H₂O  _____H₃PO₄

Step 1: List element symbols and amounts; list in the same order on both
sides
Step 2: start putting coefficients (only WHOLE numbers)
**change number of atoms for ALL elements affected by coefficient**
Step 3: Repeat process of changing coefficients until the equation is
balanced
Step 4: Rewrite equation with coefficients
 6 Equations
____P₄O₁₀Balancing
+ _____H₂O 4
 _____H₃PO₄

P- 4 P- 1 4
O- 11 16 O- 4 16
H- 2 12 H-3 12
 2 2
Ca- 1 2 Ca- 1 2

O- 2 O- 1 2
3 2
N- 2 N- 1 2

H- 2 6 H- 3 6
 Simplify

2CF4 + 4Br2 --> 2CBr4 + 4F2   CF4 + 2Br2 --> CBr4 + 2F2

Reactants:  Products:  Reactants:  Products: 

C- 1   2 C- 1 C- 1
C- 1   2

F- 2  8 F- 2  4
F- 4   8 F- 4

Br- 4  8 Br- 4
Br- 2   8 Br- 2  4
 __C
4 + __S8  --> __CS
4 2

REACTANTS: PRODUCTS:
C: 1 4 C: 1    4

S: 8 S: 2   8 

Balanced Equation: 
4C+S8 --> 4CS2
 __P4+ __O
5 2  --> __P
2 2O5

REACTANTS: PRODUCTS:
P: 4 P: 2    4

O: 2 10 O: 5   10
 

Balanced Equation: 
P4+5O2 --> 2P2O5
 __ Xe + __F
3 2  --> __XeF6

REACTANTS: PRODUCTS:
Xe: 1 Xe: 1    

F: 2 6 F: 6     

Balanced Equation: 
Xe + 3F2 --> XeF6