Stoichiometry is exactly that. It is the quantitative relation between the number of moles (and therefore mass) of various products and reactants in a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions must be balanced, or in other words, must have the same number of various atoms in the products as in the reactants.
Overview: In this tutorial, the fundamentals of balancing chemical reactions are reviewed.
Skills:
Balancing Chemical Equations
New terms:
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometric Coefficients
In chemistry it is very important to understand the relationship between reactants and products in a reaction. Stoichiometry is exactly that. It is the quantitative relation between the number of moles (and therefore mass) of various products and reactants in a chemical reaction.
Chemical reactions must be balanced, or in other words, must have the same number of various atoms in the products as in the reactants.
If a chemical reaction is not balanced, no information about the relationship between products and reactants can be derived. So the first thing to do when you see a chemical reaction is to balance it. We balance reactions by adding coefficients in front of the reactants and products. These coefficients are the stoichiometric coefficients.
General Guidelines for Balancing Simple Equation
Assignment a "1" as the coefficient for the most complex species (the one whose chemical formula has the greatest number of different elements).
Balance any single-element species last.
Eliminate fractional coefficients (although this is not necessary).
Add coefficients only; do not change the chemical formulas.
There must be the same number of atoms on the left and right sides of the chemical reaction.
These are just guidelines, not rules. Therefore, sometimes it may be necessary to deviate from these general guidelines.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
Stoichiometry is exactly that. It is the quantitative relation between the number of moles (and therefore mass) of various products and reactants in a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions must be balanced, or in other words, must have the same number of various atoms in the products as in the reactants.
Explanation:
Overview: In this tutorial, the fundamentals of balancing chemical reactions are reviewed.
Skills:
Balancing Chemical Equations
New terms:
Stoichiometry
Stoichiometric Coefficients
In chemistry it is very important to understand the relationship between reactants and products in a reaction. Stoichiometry is exactly that. It is the quantitative relation between the number of moles (and therefore mass) of various products and reactants in a chemical reaction.
Chemical reactions must be balanced, or in other words, must have the same number of various atoms in the products as in the reactants.
If a chemical reaction is not balanced, no information about the relationship between products and reactants can be derived. So the first thing to do when you see a chemical reaction is to balance it. We balance reactions by adding coefficients in front of the reactants and products. These coefficients are the stoichiometric coefficients.
General Guidelines for Balancing Simple Equation