Why do you need to balance a chemical equation?

Question

Ellie Andrews · Accepted Answer

A knowledge of basic arithmetic.

Mass is conserved in all chemical reactions, so if I start with 10 g of reactant at most, I can finish with 10 g of product. In reality, though, I won't even get that because handling losses occur....and also a properly balanced chemical equation to establish stoichiometry. Let's take a basic equation: #H_2(g) + 1/2O_2(g) rarr H_2O(l)# This clearly indicates that 18 g of water are produced when 2 g of dihydrogen and 16 g of dioxygen react. It is also obvious that mass has been preserved, as stoichiometry requires. Here's a task for you, then: The mass and charge balances in the following equation #CH_4(g) + 2O_2(g) rarr CO_2(g) + 2H_2O(l)# How many grams of dioxygen are needed if I burn 16 grams of methane, and how many grams of carbon dioxide gas will be produced?

Jose Ayala · Answer

undefined Balancing a chemical equation is necessary to ensure that the law of conservation of mass is obeyed. This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged. By balancing the equation, the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side must be equal to the number of atoms of the same element on the product side, ensuring that mass is conserved.