Balancing Chemical Equations
From the word equation, write the chemical formula equation Within chemical formula equation: Check that ionic compounds are electrically neutral Check that covalent compounds have the correct prefixes Check that diatomic molecules are correctly written
Create a table labeled reactants on the left column and products on the right column. List each element (or polyatomic ion) for the reactants and products Count the number of atoms for each element (or polyatomic ion) for both the reactant side and the product side
Begin balancing the equation comparing the elements in the following order: non-metals, metals, polyatomic ions (as one unit), hydrogen, and oxygen. Depending on the equation, water can be written as H2O, HOH, or H(OH)