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Why does the number of atoms coming out of a chemical reaction have to equal the number of atoms going into a chemical reaction?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Both sides of a chemical equation must balance due to the law of "Conservation of Mass" which states that in a reaction no matter is created or destroyed. The mass of the reactants must equal the mass of the products.
Eg.
Methane (CH4) combustion (reaction with oxygen)
CH4+2O2 = 2H2O+CO2
Reactants
1 Carbon atom
4 Hydrogen atom
4 Oxygen atoms
Products
1 Carbon atom
4 Hydrogen atom
4 Oxygen atoms
Here the reactants and products have the same mass which replicates what happens in nature
Hope this was helpful
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agohttp://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_should_the_number_of_an_atom_be_equal_on_both_sides_of_a_chemical_reaction"
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIf an element is removed from the reactants or added to the products, then it had to come from somewhere. Matter cannot be created from nothing or destroyed, so the equation must balance.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agobecause mass can neither be created or destroyed.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoBecause of the law of conservation of mass (or matter).
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoThey should balance as there is neither a construction or destruction of atoms in a chemical reactions.
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When a chemical reaction occurs atoms are never?
When a chemical reaction occurs atoms get ionized. Atoms are never created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
When a chemical reaction is balanced what number appears?
You think probable to the number of molecules or atoms.
Do the numbers of atoms increase or decrease after the chemical reaction?
Yes, in chemical reactions atoms are neither created nor destroyed, nor changed from one kind to another. Those things can only happen in nuclear reactions. Chemistry deals with how atoms combine with one another.
Ions that do not change in a chemical reaction is?
When a chemical reaction takes place, matter is conserved. The number and types of atoms in the reactants do not change in the products.
What chemical equation shows that no atoms are lost during a chemical reaction?
This is a balanced chemical reaction.
How many potassium atoms are in the reactants of the chemical reaction?
The same number you started with. In every chemical reaction the total number of atoms at the start is the same as the number of atoms at the end.
Does the number of atoms entering the reaction stay the same as the number put out by the reaction?
Chemical reactions do not change the number of atoms so yes, the number of atoms stays the same.
Does a chemical equation show the number of atoms lost during a chemical reaction?
no
When a chemical reaction occurs atoms are never?
When a chemical reaction occurs atoms get ionized. Atoms are never created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
When a chemical reaction is balanced what number appears?
You think probable to the number of molecules or atoms.
What is the law in a chemical reaction the number of atoms present in the reactants is always equal to the number of atoms present in the products?
more than in the products or less than in the products depending on the kind of chemical reaction
Can atoms be divided by chemical reaction?
No, this would be contrary to the definition of an ordinary chemical reaction.
Why do reactions have to he balanced?
atoms are not lost or gained in a chemical reaction
What must happen for a chemical equation to be balanced?
The number of atoms, along with the number of different types of atoms, input into the chemical reaction will and must equal these numbers at the Fin of the R'xn.
What are the number of atoms that make up the molcules on the reaction side and the number of atoms that make up the molecules on the product side?
They are equal. Sometimes referred to as conservation of matter in a chemical reaction.
What is the name of a number in front of a chemical formula in an equation called?
This is the number of molecules or atoms involved in the reaction.
What happens to the total number of atoms of each element before and a after a chemical reaction?
It does not change
