1. Balancing Equations

2. How to read a chemical equation
A chemical equation is a short, easy way to show a chemical reaction by using symbols instead of words
All chemical equations use chemical formulas to represent the substances involved in the reactions
All equations have a common structure: the substance at the beginning is a reactant; the new substances at the end of the reaction are the products
CH4 + 2O CO2 + 2H2O
Yields
Reactant
Product

3. A subscript tells how many atoms of an element there are in the formula…no subscript is an understood “1”-H2O, C6H12O6
Use coefficients to balance atoms: a coefficient is number placed in front of a chemical formula in an equation
2 H₂O₂→2 H₂O + O₂
2Cu₂O + C→ 4 Cu + CO₂

4. Steps to balancing equations
To describe a reaction accurately, a chemical equation must show the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation
1) Write the equation
2) Count the atoms
3) Use coefficients to balance atoms; make sure to multiply coefficients with all subscripts
4) Look back and check