Question

Relate the writing and balancing of a chemical equation to the principal of conservation of mass

Answer 1

Balancing a chemical reaction:

The reactants are written in terms of their chemical formula on the left hand side and the products are written in terms of their chemical formula on right hand side separated by an right arrow. The chemical symbols are followed by their physical states such as (l) for liquid, (s) for solid, (g) for gas and (aq) for aqueous.

The number of atoms on both sides of a reaction must be equal in order to obey the law of conservation of mass.

Law of conservation of mass says the mass of reactants must be equal to the mass of products.

This is only possible when the reactants used are produced as products in the same quantities. Thus balancing of equation is done to follow the law of conservation of mass.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

Law of conservation of mass states that mass can neither be destroyed nor it can be created in a chemical reaction. It can only be transformed from one form to another.

Therefore, when we write a chemical reaction then it is necessary to balance the chemical equation because the total number of reactants participating in a reaction will yield the same number of products.

Hence, a chemical equation can only be balanced when total number of reactants equal total number of products. Thus, it resembles the law of conservation of mass.

For example,
`2Al + 3H_(2)SO_(4) \rightarrow Al_(2)(SO_(4))_(3) + 3H_(2)` is a balanced chemical equation because the number of aluminium, hydrogen, and sulfate atoms on both reactant and product side are the same.