Instructor

MARK RYAN R. TRIPOLE (DoPAC)

 Learning Outcomes
• By the end of this session the student should have the
ability to:
• write down a chemical reaction both in words and
through chemical formulas
• apply the law of conservation of matter and different
methods in balancing chemical equations

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions
How do we go about writing chemical reactions?

Hydrogen reacts with

oxygen to form water

English subtitles
What information do we have from
the statement shown above?
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Chemical Reactions
How do we go about writing chemical reactions?
REACTANTS

Hydrogen reacts with

oxygen to form water
PRODUCTS

Whatever is How do we transform these statements

happening between into chemical formulas?
the reactants and
products What information do we have from
the statement shown above?
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Chemical Reactions
How do we go about writing chemical reactions?

Hydrogen reacts with

oxygen to form water

H 2 + O2 H 2O
REACTANTS PRODUCTS
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Chemical Reactions

H 2 + O2 H2O
REACTANTS PRODUCTS

CHEMICAL EQUATION showing CHEMICAL CHANGE

Aside from the information above, we
must also include the phase labels to
denote what phases the different
chemical species are in

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

H2(g) + O2(g) H2O (l)

ENGLISH SUBTITLES:
Gaseous hydrogen reacts with
gaseous oxygen to form liquid water
Aside from the information above, we Unless specified
otherwise, water will
must also include the phase labels to
always be in the liquid
denote what phases the different form
chemical species are in

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

H2(g) + O2(g) H2O (l)

Does this represent the complete
chemical equation for the reaction?

DOES IT FOLLOW THE LAW OF

CONSERVATION OF MATTER?

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

H2(g) + O2(g) H2O (l)

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
2H and 2O 2H and 1O

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

H2(g) + O2(g) H2O (l)

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
2H and 2O NOT BALANCED! 2H and 1O
So what do we do?
We introduce coefficients!

REMEMBER:
Never ever mess with the subscripts
of the chemical species!

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

H2 + O2 H2O
REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

H 2 We could try to
make the
number of O
H Apply a
coefficient of 2
2
O 2 O 1
equal on both to H2O!
sides. How?

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

H2 + O2 2H2O
REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

H Apply a
coefficient of 2
2 We could try to
make the
number of H
H 4
O 2 O 2
to H2! equal on both
sides. How?

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

2H2 + O2 2H2O
REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

H Apply a
coefficient of 2
4 H 4
O 2 O 2
to H2!

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

2H2 + O2 2H2O
REACTANTS PRODUCTS
4H and 2O 4H and 2O
BALANCED!

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Chemical Reactions

2H2 + O2 2H2O
This balanced chemical equation for the reaction between
gaseous hydrogen and oxygen follows the law of
conservation of matter.

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions
How do we go about balancing chemical reactions?

TRIAL AND ERROR MATHEMATICAL

METHOD METHOD
*I prefer this more

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method

C5H12 + O2 CO2 + H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

C 5 We could try to
C 1
H 12 H 2
make the number
of C equal on both
sides by applying
a coefficient of 5

O 2 to CO2.
O 3
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method

C5H12 + O2 5CO2 + H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

C 5 We could try to
make the number
C 5
H 12 of H equal on
both sides by
applying a
H 2
O 2 O 11
coefficient of 6 to
H2O.

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method

C5H12 + O2 5CO2 + 6H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

C 5 We could try to
make the number
C 5
H 12 of O equal on both
sides by applying
a coefficient of 8
H 12
O 2 O 16
to O2.

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method

C5H12 + 8O2 5CO2 + 6H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
ELEMENT NUMBER ELEMENT NUMBER

C 5 BALANCED! C 5
H 12 H 12
O 16 O 16
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method

C5H12 + 8O2 5CO2 + 6H2O

BALANCED CHEMICAL EQUATION~!

How do we apply the mathematical method of balancing

chemical equations?

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method

a C5H12 + bO2 cCO2 + d H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
IMPORTANT STEPS
1. Assign a letter to each of the chemical species.
2. For each element, form an algebraic relationship relating the number of
its atoms in the reactants and in the products.

C 5a = c O 2b = 2c + d
GUIDE:
Where does the
element appear

H 12a = 2d
in the reactants
and products?

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method
IMPORTANT STEPS
3. Let a = 1, then solve for b, c, and d using the algebraic relations

C 5a = c H 12a = 2d O 2b = 2c + d
a=1 2d = 12 2b = 2(5) + 6
c=5 d=6 2b = 16
b=8
The answers that you get for a, b, c, and d will be your coefficients!

a C5H12 + bO2 cCO2 + d H2O

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method
IMPORTANT STEPS
3. Let a = 1, then solve for b, c, and d using the algebraic relations

a C5H12 + bO2 cCO2 + d H2O

a = 1, b = 8
c = 5, d = 6

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method
IMPORTANT STEPS
3. Let a = 1, then solve for b, c, and d using the algebraic relations

1C5H12 + 8O2 5CO2 + 6H2O

a = 1, b = 8
c = 5, d = 6
Same answer as before but I feel this is much easier :)

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method
EXAMPLE 2

Ca(OH)2 + H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
Ca 1 We could try to
Ca 3
O 6 make the number
of Ca equal on O 9
both sides by
H 5 applying a
coefficient of 3 to
H 2
P 1 Ca(OH)2.
P 2
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method
EXAMPLE 2

3Ca(OH)2 + H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
Ca 3 We could try to
Ca 3
O 10 make the number
of P equal on both O 9
sides by applying
H 9 a coefficient of 2
to H3PO4.
H 2
P 1 P 2
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method
EXAMPLE 2

3Ca(OH)2 + 2 H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
Ca 3 We could try to
Ca 3
O 14 make the number
of H equal on O 9
both sides by
H 12 applying a
coefficient of 6 to
H 2
P 2 H2O.
P 2
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Trial and Error Method
EXAMPLE 2

3Ca(OH)2 + 2 H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + 6H2O

REACTANTS PRODUCTS
Ca 3 Ca 3
O 14 BALANCED!! O 14
H 12 H 12
P 2 P 2
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method
EXAMPLE 2

a Ca(OH)2 + b H3PO4 cCa3(PO4)2 + dH2O

Ca a = 3c O 2a + 4b = 8c + d
H 2a + 3b = 2d P b = 2c
a=1 b = 2/3
c = 1/3 2d = 2(1) + 3(2/3)
2d = 4 d = 2
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method
EXAMPLE 2

a Ca(OH)2 + b H3PO4 cCa3(PO4)2 + dH2O

a = 1, b = 2/3
c = 1/3, d = 2
If your coefficients are in fraction form, multiply everything
by the lowest common denominator (in this case 3)

a = 3, b = 2, c = 1, d = 6
PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)
 Balancing Chemical Reactions Mathematical Method

EXAMPLE 2

3Ca(OH)2 + 2 H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + 6H2O

BALANCED CHEMICAL EQUATION~!

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 Balancing Chemical Reactions
ASSIGNMENT
Balance the following chemical reactions using both methods.
Which one is easier for you?

S8 + F2 SF6
C2H6 + O2 CO2 + H2O
Al2(CO3)3 + H3PO4 AlPO4 + CO2 + H2O

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)

 What questions do you have for me?

PhSc 105.1 – Inorganic Chemistry (Laboratory)