What is the significance of the coefficients in a balanced equation

If 10 g of reactant are used in a chemical reaction, at most we can get 10 g of product. In practice we are not even going to get that, because losses always occur on handling. When a chemical reaction is written, the stoichiometry must reflect the mass balance, which is absolute.

Garbage out must equal garbage in. And of course we use the coefficients to depict that stoichiometry. The coefficients allow chemists to count their change effectively. Why is reaction stoichiometry important? Cite some examples in your answer.

Why is a balanced chemical equation needed to solve stoichiometry problem… On what law is stoichiometry based? Why is it essential to use balanced equa… Explain why a balanced chemical equation is needed to solve a stoichiometric… What does it mean to say an equation is balanced?

Why is it important for an… Problem In a chemical reaction, what is the limiting reac…. View Full Video Already have an account? Joshua S. Problem 7 Easy Difficulty What is reaction stoichiometry? Answer The numerical relationships between chemical amounts in a balanced chemical equation are called reaction Stoichiometry.

View Answer. Topics Chemical reactions and Stoichiometry Electronic Structure. Discussion You must be signed in to discuss. We can balance the oxygen atoms by adjusting the coefficient in front of the least complex substance, O 2 , on the reactant side:. The assumption that the final balanced chemical equation contains only one molecule or formula unit of the most complex substance is not always valid, but it is a good place to start.

The combustion of any hydrocarbon with oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water. The first element that appears only once in the reactants is carbon: 8 carbon atoms in isooctane means that there must be 8 CO 2 molecules in the products:. The carbon and hydrogen atoms are now balanced, but we have 25 oxygen atoms on the right side and only 2 oxygen atoms on the left.

The equation is now balanced, but we usually write equations with whole number coefficients. We can eliminate the fractional coefficient by multiplying all coefficients on both sides of the chemical equation by 2 :. The balanced chemical equation has 16 carbon atoms, 36 hydrogen atoms, and 50 oxygen atoms on each side. Balancing equations requires some practice on your part as well as some common sense. If you find yourself using very large coefficients or if you have spent several minutes without success, go back and make sure that you have written the formulas of the reactants and products correctly.

Aqueous solutions of lead II nitrate and sodium chloride are mixed. The products of the reaction are an aqueous solution of sodium nitrate and a solid precipitate of lead II chloride. Write the balanced chemical equation for this reaction. There are twice as many chloride ions in the reactants as there are in the products.

Place a 2 in front of the NaCl in order to balance the chloride ions. The nitrate ions are still unbalanced. Place a 2 in front of the NaNO 3. The result is:. This would have given an incorrect answer.

Calculate K p. The partial pressures are as follows: SO 2 - 0. Introduction There are several important rules for balancing an equation: An equation can be balanced only by adjusting the coefficients. The equation must include only the reactants and products that participate in the reaction.

Never change the equation in order to balance it. If an element occurs in only one compound on each side of the equation, try balancing this element first.

When one element exists as a free element, balance this element last. Consider oxygen first. There are two atoms on the left and one on the right. There are 4 atoms on the right, and only 2 atoms on the left. All atoms balance, so the equation is properly balanced. There is one on the left side of the equation, and three on the right side. Add a coefficient of three to the left side. There is one on the right side, but now there are three on the left side from the previous adjustment.

Add a coefficient of three on the right side. There is one atom on the left side and two on the right side. Add a coefficient of two on the left side. Make sure there are equal numbers of each atom on each side.

First, look at the P atoms. There are four on the reactant side and two on the product side.