Question

When iron metal reacts with sulfuric acid, it produces iron (III) sulfate and hydrogen gas. Balance the equation: Fe + H2SO4 → Fe2(SO4)3 + H2.

Explain why it is necessary to balance chemical equations and why coefficients can be added to an equation, but subscripts cannot be changed.

Answer 1

the balanced equation for this is

2Fe + 3H2SO4 → Fe2(SO4) + 3H2

It's necessary to balance chemical equations because the product has to be the same mass as the elements before the chemical reaction. To balance the equation, coefficients can be added to even the amount of atoms on each side, but changing subscripts results in changing the substance entirely, so you can't

Answer 2

We need to balance because according to law of conservation of mass

• In any chemical reaction mass is neither created nor destroyed,it remains conserved.

So

• Mass of products=Mass of reactants

We cannot change the subscripts as we can't change the chemical formula.