Can you divide equation II by another factor and still have it be correct? Why or why not?

Balancing Chemical Equations

Load the simulation Balancing Chemical Equations http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-chemical-equations

 

Critical Thinking Questions

 

Explore the Balancing Chemical Equations simulation.

1. What are the different ways that the simulation indicates when an equation is balanced?

For each balanced reaction, indicate the total number of molecules in the table below.

 

Reaction	Total Number of Molecules
	Reactant Side (Left)	Product Side (Right)
Make Ammonia
Separate Water
Combust Methane

Is the number of total molecules on the left side of a balanced equation always equal to the number of total molecules on the right side of the equation?  Explain your answer.

For each balanced reaction, indicate the total number of atoms in the table below.

 

Reaction	Total Number of Atoms
	Reactant Side (Left)	Product Side (Right)
Make Ammonia
Separate Water
Combust Methane

 

Is the number of total atoms on the left side of a balanced equation always equal to the number of total atoms on the right side of the equation?

What is the same on the left and right side of a balanced equation?  Explain your answer.

Play level 1 of the balancing equation game. Write down the strategies you used to balance chemical equations.

Start level 2 of the balancing equation game using your strategies from Level 1, and adding new strategies as needed.

 

In the simulation, were you able to use noninteger numbers (like ½ or 0.43) for the coefficients in a balanced equation?             Why do you think this is?

 

1. Which of the following are coefficients you could use in a balanced equation?

☐ ½           ☐ ¾          ☐ 1         ☐ 2         ☐ 6           ☐ 9

 

1. If you were balancing an equation containing the O₂ molecule, which of the following would be correct representations of O₂ and its coefficient?

☐ ½O₂               ☐ O₂                    ☐ 3O₂                 ☐ 6O₂                 ☐ 3O              ☐ 5O₃

 

What do you have to do to the coefficients of equation I below to get to equation II?

1. 2 SnO₂ + 4 H₂ 🡪  2 Sn + 4 H₂O
2. SnO₂ +  2 H₂  🡪   Sn +  2 H₂O

 

Both equation I and II are balanced, but is equation I the only correct way to write the balanced equation?

 

Can you divide equation II by another factor and still have it be correct? Why or why not?

 

In a complete sentence, write down a method you could use to determine if an equation is written in the correct way.