Balancing Chemical Equations 101

OKAY CLASS, CHEMISTRY TIME. YOU CAN’T JUST THROW ATOMS AROUND LIKE LEGO BRICKS AND

HOPE FOR THE BEST. THE UNIVERSE IS WATCHING. AND IT WILL JUDGE YOU.

WELCOME TO BALANCING CHEMICAL EQUATIONS, WHERE THE NUMBER ONE RULE IS: NO ATOMS ARE ALLOWED

TO DISAPPEAR. NO NEW ATOMS CAN JUST POP IN OUT OF NOWHERE EITHER. THIS ISN’T MINECRAFT.

IT’S THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF MASS, BABY. LOOK AT THIS:

H₂ + O₂ → H₂O RIGHT NOW? ILLEGAL. UNHINGED. IF YOU WRITE THIS,

SOMEWHERE A CHEMIST CRIES. BECAUSE ON THE LEFT YOU’VE GOT TWO HYDROGENS AND TWO OXYGENS

AND ON THE RIGHT YOU’VE GOT… UM… TWO HYDROGENS AND ONE OXYGEN. WHERE DID THE OTHER