Beginning Balancing of Equations II

Law of Conservation of Mass

A quick review:
This law states that you must have the same
number and the same kind of atoms in both
the reactants as well as the products.
You actually proved this earlier in the year when
you showed that there was no change of mass
when a chemical reaction occurred. No
change of mass meant no change of atoms.

Polyatomic Review
Identify the following Polyatomic Groups AND
give their charge.
Sulfate
Carbonate
Nitrate
Hydroxide
Phosphate
Ammonium

Polyatomic Review
Identify the following Polyatomic Groups AND
give their charge.
Sulfate
SO4 minus 2 charge
Carbonate CO3 minus 2 charge
Nitrate
NO3 minus 1 charge
Hydroxide OH minus 1 charge
Phosphate PO4 minus 3 charge
Ammonium NH4 positive 1 charge

Practice Problem 1
Calcium is Ca-20 Phosphorous is P-15
Calcium and phosphorous combine in a 3:2
ratio.

Give a balanced equation if 48 calcium atoms

are added to 36 phosphorous atoms.
What do you need to add to ensure no
leftovers?

Answer Problem 1
Give a balanced equation if 48 calcium atoms are
added to 36 phosphorous atoms.
48Ca + 36 P Ca3P2
Dividing 48/3 gives 16 Dividing 36/2 gives 18. So,
you can make 16 compounds. Your equation is
now
48Ca + 36 P 16Ca3P2 + 4P
What do you need to add to ensure no leftovers?

Answer Problem 1
48Ca + 36 P 16Ca3P2 + 4P
What do you need to add to ensure no
leftovers?
Since you have 4P leftover, and you need 3Ca for
every 2P atoms, you need an additional SIX Ca
atoms. This would let you make

2Ca3P2

Practice Problem 2
Aluminum is Al-13

Bromine is Br-35

Aluminum combines with Bromine

in a 1:3 ratio. WHY? If 45
compounds were made, give a
balanced equation to represent
this reaction.

Answer Practice Problem 2

The key to this problem is that the Al and Br
combine in a 1:3 ratio, forming AlBr3. It
combines in this ratio as it makes a NEUTRAL
COMPOUND. Now, if 45 compounds were
formed, then you have 45AlBr3. Multiplying
45 x 3 will give the number of Br atoms. This
comes out to be 135 Br atoms. Now you can
make a balanced equation.
45 Al + 135 Br 45AlBr3

Practice Problem 3
Calcium is found to combine with the
polyatomic group, nitrate (NO3) in a
1:2 ratio.
If 46 nitrate atoms are used to make
compounds, give a balanced
equation of what forms.

Answer to Practice Problem 3

Since Calcium is found to combine with the
polyatomic group, nitrate (NO3) in a 1:2 ratio,
your initial formula is:
Ca + (NO3) Ca(NO3)2.
Now, if 46 nitrate atoms are used, and two
nitrate are used in each compound, then 13
compounds were formed. This gives you
Ca + (NO3) 23Ca(NO3)2

Answer to Practice Problem 3

This gives you
Ca + (NO3) 23Ca1(NO3)2
Working backwards, since reactants must equal
products, then you know that you must have a
total of 23 x 1 = 23 Ca atoms and 23 x 2 = 46
nitrate polyatomic groups. Putting in these
numbers you now have the equation
23Ca + 46(NO3) 23Ca1(NO3)2

Practice Problem 4

Aluminum and oxygen combine

to form aluminum oxide. If 16
compounds were formed and
9 oxygen atoms were leftover,
give a balanced equation.

Answer to Practice Problem 4

Since Aluminum and oxygen combine in a 3:2
ratio:
Al + O Al2O3
If 16 compounds were formed and 9 oxygen
atoms were leftover, give a balanced equation.
Al + O 16Al2O3 + 9 O
Multiplying coefficients times subscripts will
now give you the reactants.

Answer to Practice Problem 4

So, knowing that reactants and products must
be equal, multiplying the coefficients and
subscripts will give you the coefficients for the
reactants.
32Al + 45O 16Al2O3 +

9O

Practice Problem 5
A. Given the products, predict the reactants.
?

8Al2O3 + 8 Al

B. What would you need to add to the products

to have no leftover reactants?

Answer to Practice Problem 5

? + ? 8Al2O3 + 8 Al
Since reactants must equal products, first multiply
the coefficient times the subscripts.
8 x 2 = 16 and 8 x 3 = 24
This gives you
16 Al + 24 O 8Al2O3 + 8 Al
Now, add the 8 Al
16 Al + 8 Al + 24 O 8Al2O3 + 8 Al
24 Al + 24 O 8Al2O3 + 8 Al

Answer to Practice Problem 5

? + ? 8Al2O3 + 8 Al
B. What would you need to add to the products
to have no leftover reactants?
Since you have 8 Al left over, you will need 2 Al
per compound. Since you can make 4
compounds, then you will need 4 x 3 or 12
more oxygen atoms.