Writing Chemical Equations
How can we represent the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to form water? We use a chemical equation.
First, let’s start with a word equation, which represents a reaction using the names of reactants and products, separated by an arrow indicating the reaction's direction.
Here, the word equation is hydrogen plus oxygen gives water.
Now, let’s rewrite it using chemical symbols and formulas. It becomes H2 plus O2, gives H2O.
Next, let’s count the number of atoms of each element on both sides. On the left, there are two hydrogen and two oxygen atoms. On the right, there are two hydrogen atoms but only one oxygen atom.
To balance the oxygen atoms, place a coefficient of two in front of H2O.
The oxygen atoms are now balanced with two oxygens on both sides, but the hydrogen atoms are still unbalanced.
To fix this, add a coefficient of two in front of H2 on the left.
The equation is balanced with an equal number of atoms of each element on both sides.
A chemical equation is a written representation of a chemical reaction. It shows how reactants are transformed into products and indicates the amounts…
How can we represent the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to form water? We use a chemical equation.
First, let’s start with a word equation, which represents a reaction using the names of reactants and products, separated by an arrow indicating the reaction's direction.
Here, the word equation is hydrogen plus oxygen gives water.
Now, let’s rewrite it using chemical symbols and formulas. It becomes H2 plus O2, gives H2O.
Next, let’s count the number of atoms of each element on both sides. On the left, there are two hydrogen and two oxygen atoms. On the right, there are two hydrogen atoms but only one oxygen atom.
To balance the oxygen atoms, place a coefficient of two in front of H2O.
The oxygen atoms are now balanced with two oxygens on both sides, but the hydrogen atoms are still unbalanced.
To fix this, add a coefficient of two in front of H2 on the left.
The equation is balanced with an equal number of atoms of each element on both sides.
How can we represent the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to form water? We use a chemical equation.
First, let’s start with a word equation, which represents a reaction using the names of reactants and products, separated by an arrow indicating the reaction's direction.
Here, the word equation is hydrogen plus oxygen gives water.
Now, let’s rewrite it using chemical symbols and formulas. It becomes H2 plus O2, gives H2O.
Next, let’s count the number of atoms of each element on both sides. On the left, there are two hydrogen and two oxygen atoms. On the right, there are two hydrogen atoms but only one oxygen atom.
To balance the oxygen atoms, place a coefficient of two in front of H2O.
The oxygen atoms are now balanced with two oxygens on both sides, but the hydrogen atoms are still unbalanced.
To fix this, add a coefficient of two in front of H2 on the left.
The equation is balanced with an equal number of atoms of each element on both sides.
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