Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing Chemical Equations
Equations need to be balanced because matter cannot be created or destroyed only rearranged.
When balancing equations it’s helpful to follow steps to make it easier. 
Steps
  1. List the elements 
  2. Count the elements 
  3. Balance the metals
  4. Balance the nonmetallic except for Hydrogen and Oxygen 
  5. Balance Hydrogen and then Oxygen
  • Solving an equation
    • The equation is the picture above
    The first step is to list the elements 
    The second step is to count the elements 
    The small numbers (subscriptions) tell us how many there are. In (SO4)3, the 3 indicates that we are multiplying the all the elements that are inside the bracket by 3. There is one Sulphate inside the bracket so 1•3=3 therefore there are 3 sulphates. The Oxygen inside the bracket is multiplied by 4 because there is a 4 beside it but there is also a 3 outside the bracket so you would multiply it by 3 as well; 1•3•4=12. Don’t forget to add the Oxygen in KOH so 12+1=13 therefore there is a total of 13. The same rules apply to product side. 
    Our goal is to get all the elements the same on both sides (the reactant side and the product side). First we need to balance the metals. The metals in this equation is iron (Fe) and potassium (K). We can’t change or add in the small numbers but we can change the coefficients which is the numbers in front of the chemical compound. 
    Right now there is an invisible 1 in front of each compound. We want to change the 1 to balance each element. 
    Let’s start off with putting a 2 in front of Fe(OH)3 on the product side. 
    Now we will have two of the compounds instead of 1.
    Now that iron matches we need to balance potassium. So let’s put a 2 in front KOH on the reactant side.
    Inserting the 2 will allow us again to have two of the compounds instead of 1. 
    Don’t forget to change the other compounds in that group when you add a coefficient.
    Now that the metals match we have to balance the nonmetals in this case sulphate is the only nonmetal. 
    We can put a 3 for this coefficient because the reactant sulphate is 3 times as big as the product sulphate. 
    This will balance the sulphate but it will change a few of the other elements.
    Adding the the 3 changed a meter element so before moving on to Hydrogen and Oxygen we need to go back and balance the metal which is potassium (K). 
    Let’s go ahead and change the 2 to a 6 on the reactant side. 
    This will balance the potassium. Now we can move on to Hydrogen and Oxygen but adding the 6 already balanced them. 
    The final balanced equation is now given. 

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