GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1

BALANCING EQUATIONS
STEPS IN BALANCING CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Step 1:
Write correct formulas for the reactants and products, do not write incorrect formulas to make
balancing easier; write correct formulas!
Step 2:
Insert question marks before each formula except the most complicated one; place a 1 there.
Step 3:
Balance one or more of the elements in the substance with the “1” coefficient by inserting coefficients
in front of the formulas for other substances.
Step 4:
Complete the equation using values already determined.
Step 5:
Delete any coefficients equal to 1
Step 6:
Check the numbers of atoms of each element on each side

EXAMPLE 1:

EXAMPLE 2:

PREDICTING THE PRODUCTS OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Simple chemical reactions can be divided into the following classes:
1. Combination reactions
Combination reactions involve the reaction of two (or more) substances to form one compound.
Perhaps the easiest combination reaction to recognize is one in which two free elements (at least one
of which is a nonmetal) reacts with each other. The elements can do little except react with each other
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(or not react at all). For example, if we treat aluminum metal with chlorine gas, the elements can
combine to form aluminum chloride:

2. Decomposition reactions
Decomposition reactions have the opposite effect from combination reactions. In a decomposition
reaction, a single compound can decompose to two elements, to an element and a simpler compound,
to two simpler compounds, or (rarely) to another combination of products. Ternary compounds,
compounds containing three elements, do not decompose into three uncombined elements.
Decomposition reactions are easy to identify because there is only one reactant.

3. Single substitution (or single displacement) reactions

The reaction of a free element with a compound of two (or more) other elements may result in the free
element displacing one of the elements originally in the compound. A free metal can generally displace
a less active metal in a compound; a free nonmetal can generally displace a less active nonmetal in a
compound:
In this class of reaction, called a single displacement reaction, or single substitution reaction, elements
that are inherently more reactive can displace less reactive elements from their compounds, but the
opposite process does not occur
To predict which single substitution reactions will occur, we need to know a little about the relative
relativities of some of the important metals and nonmetals.

4. Double substitution (or double displacement) reactions

The reaction of two compounds may yield two new compounds. Many reactions that occur in aqueous
solution involve two ionic compounds trading anions. This class of reactions is called double
substitution reactions, double displacement reactions, or metathesis reactions. As usual, the correct
formulas must be written for the products before the equation is balanced. In a double substitution
reaction, if the ions are not converted to covalent compounds, their charges do not change as they are
converted from reactants to products.
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In addition, most elements and many compounds react with oxygen:

5. 5. Combustion reactions
Everyone is familiar with the process called burning. Burning, also called combustion, is the rapid
reaction of a wide variety of materials with oxygen gas. Combustion reactions of elements can also be
classified as combination reactions; the type of reaction is not as important as the products. For
example, we can refer to the following reactions as combination reactions or combustion reactions:

The combustion reactions of hydrocarbons—compounds composed of carbon and hydrogen only—are

especially important as sources of useful energy. We burn methane, called natural gas, in our homes to
provide heat, and we combust octane, in our cars to provide mechanical energy:

IDENTIFY WHAT TYPE OF CHEMICAL REACTION IS SHOWN AND

BALANCE IT: