You Should Be Able To

1. Define and explain the law of conservation of mass

2. Represent chemical reactions and the conservation
of atoms, using molecular models

3. Write and balance (using the lowest whole number
coefficients) chemical equations from formulae, word
equations, or descriptions of experiments

Subscript
Coefficient
Law of Conservation of Mass
Molecule
Atom
Skeleton Equation
Balanced Equation
Word Equation

(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
Chemical reactions result in chemical
changes.
Chemical changes occur when new substances
are created.
The original substance(s), called reactants,
change into new substance(s) called products.
See pages 202 - 203
Reactants Products
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
See pages 202 - 203
Reactants Products
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
Chemical reactions can be written in different
ways.
A word equation:
Nitrogen monoxide + oxygen nitrogen dioxide
A symbolic equation:
2NO
(g)
+ O
2(g)
2NO
2(g)

STATE OF MATTER
- Letters indicate the state of
each compound.
(aq) = aqueous/dissolved in
water
(s) = solid
( ) = liquid
(g) = gas
COEFFICIENTS
- Indicates how many of each
molecule there is.
-Ie: there are 2 molecules of NO.
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
When a chemical reaction occurs, new compounds are
created, BUT
No new matter is created or destroyed; atoms are
just rearranged as the atoms change partners to form
new compounds.
If there are 3 atoms of oxygen in the reactants, there
MUST be 3 atoms of oxygen in the products.
Number of each atom in reactants = number of each
atom in products.
The law of conservation of mass:
Mass of reactants = mass of products

If you could collect and measure all of the exhaust from
this car, you would find that mass of reactants (gas + O
2
) =
mass of products (exhaust).
The simplest form of chemical equation is a word
equation.
Potassium metal + oxygen gas potassium oxide






A skeleton equation shows the formulas of the
elements/compounds.
A skeleton equation shows which atoms are involved, but
not how many molecules are involved.
K + O
2
K
2
O
A balanced chemical equation shows all
atoms and the coefficients tells us how many
molecules (and atoms) there are.
Balancing ensures that the number of each
atom is the same on both sides of the reaction
arrow.
4K + O
2
2K
2
O
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
O O
O
O
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
Using the law of conservation of mass, we
can count atoms to balance the number of
atoms in chemical equations.
Word equation: methane + oxygen water +
carbon dioxide
Skeleton equation: CH
4
+ O
2
H
2
O + CO
2
To balance the compounds, take note of how many
atoms of each element occur on each side of the
reaction arrow.


See Page 207
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
Skeleton equation: CH
4
+ O
2
H
2
O + CO
2
Carbon = 1 Carbon = 1
Hydrogen = 4 Hydrogen = 2
Oxygen = 2 Oxygen = 3

Balanced equation: CH
4
+ 2O
2
2H
2
O + CO
2

Carbon = 1 Carbon = 1
Hydrogen = 4 Hydrogen = 4
Oxygen = 4 Oxygen = 4
The same number
of atoms must be on
each side.
See Page 207
Balancing Equations
Reactants Products
H 2 2
hydrogen + oxygen water
O
2

H
2
O

H
2
+
O 2 1
Balancing Equations
H
2
+ O
2
H
2
O
2

Reactants Products
H 2 2
O 2 2
hydrogen + oxygen hydrogen peroxide
YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE SUBSCRIPTS
Balancing Equations
H
2
+ O
2
H
2
O

Reactants Products
H 2 2
O 2 1
hydrogen + oxygen water
2
Balancing Equations
H
2
+ O
2
H
2
O

Reactants Products
H 2 4
O 2 2
hydrogen + oxygen water
2
Balancing Equations
2 H
2
+ O
2
H
2
O

Reactants Products
H 4 4
O 2 2
hydrogen + oxygen water
2
(g) (g)
(l)
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
Balance chemical equations by following these steps:
Trial and error will work but can be very inefficient.
USE A TABLE (write atoms underneath reactants and products)
If they look the same on both sides of the equation, treat
polyatomic ions (such as SO
4
2
) as a group & balance them as
such.
If OH and H
2
O are in the equation, write water as HOH.
Balance one compound at a time & rewrite the # of atoms in
the chart as things change.
Only add coefficients; NEVER change subscripts!!!
If H and O appear in more than one place, attempt to balance
them LAST.
Balance everything that isnt H or O 1
st
.
Balance the Hs 2
nd
to last.
Balance the Os last.
Always double-check after you think you are finished.
CHECK YOUR ANSWERS!!!

See pages 209 - 211
Balance the following:
Fe + Br
2
FeBr
3



Sn(NO
2
)
4
+ K
3
PO
4
KNO
2
+ Sn
3
(PO
4
)
4



C
2
H6 + O
2
CO
2
+ H
2
O

____Ba + ____H
2
O ____Ba(OH)
2
+ ____H
2






____CO
2
+ ____H
2
O ____H
2
CO
3






____Fe
2
O
3
+ ____C ____Fe + ____CO



____Fe + ____H
2
O ____H
2
+ ____Fe
2
O
3



(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
If you dont transform your word into a
skeleton equation properly, you wont
be able to balance the equation
correctly.
Change chemical names into chemical
formulas. 4 types:
Simple ionic compounds
Multivalent ionic compounds
Ionic compounds with polyatomic ions
Covalent compound

Be careful of diatomic elements --
remember the special seven!!
H
2
, N
2
, O
2
, F
2
, Cl
2
, Br
2
, I
2
See page 208
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
See page 208
Several common covalent molecules containing hydrogen have
common names that you should know and MEMORIZE!!
methane = CH
4
glucose = C
6
H
12
O
6
ethane = C
2
H
6
ammonia = NH
3

(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson 2007
See page 208
Example #1:
Word Equation: Solutions of lead nitrate react with potassium iodide to
produce solid lead iodide and a solution of potassium nitrate.

Skeleton Equation: Pb(NO
3
)
2(aq)
+ KI
(aq)
PbI
2(s)
+ KNO
3(aq)

Balanced Equation: Pb(NO
3
)
2(aq)
+ 2KI
(aq)
PbI
2(s)
+ 2KNO
3(aq)



Example #2:
Word Equation: Copper reacts with hydrogen nitrate to produce copper (II)
nitrate plus hydrogen.

Skeleton Equation: Cu + H(NO
3
) Cu(NO
3
)
2
+ H
2

Balanced Equation: Cu + 2H(NO
3
) Cu(NO
3
)
2
+ H
2



Source
www.teachnlearnchem.com