Chemistry › Section D · Stoichiometry of reactions › Topic D.1
Writing and balancing equations
A chemical equation is a compact sentence that says which substances react, what they become and in what proportions. Balancing it makes the sentence obey the law of conservation of mass, and the balanced numbers are the starting point for every calculation about reactions.
In this topic
- Atoms are rearranged, never lost
- Reading an equation
- Coefficients and subscripts
- Balancing by inspection
- Worked example: burning propane
- Fractions along the way
- What the coefficients mean
- Ions in water
- Worked example: a yellow precipitate
- Worked example: balancing charge
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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