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Home Concept Builders Chemical Reactions Writing Balanced Chemical Equations Help Help 17

Writing Balanced Chemical Equations - Questions 17 Help

A balanced chemical equation shows the number of particles of each substance involved in a chemical reaction. Such an equation includes formulas and coefficients. A formula includes symbols for each type of atom in the substance. The coefficients are the numbers present in front of the formulae. If you are given a verbal description of a reaction, then you can identify the reactant and product formulae and write a balanced chemical equation with the formulae and some coefficients.

There are two questions in this Question Group. The two questions are very similar or are the same type of reaction The question below is one of the questions.
 

Version 1:
The sentence below describes a chemical reaction. Write and balance the equation for this reaction.
 
Fluorine reacts with aluminum chloride in a single replacement reaction.

To be successful with this question, you need to know what a balanced chemical equation involves. You also need to have a good strategy for how to balance a chemical equation. Finally, you will need to make sure you know how to conduct an Atom Count. The two infographics below describe these three ideas. Study the graphics, giving particular attention to the Know How to Count Atoms, the Step-by-Step Balancing Method, and the Example sections in the second infographic. Some specific information regarding this question are provided after the second infographic.

 





 

Some Specifics About This Question Group

The two versions of questions in this Question Group have very little in common other than that they can both be successfully approached using the usual step-by-step method discussed in the infographic above works. Begin with an element that is present in only one formula on the reactant and product side. Balance that element first; then balance the other element that shares this same characteristic. Using this method, the third and final element will typically come out balanced. Do an atom count to insure that this is the case.
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