Balancing a chemical equation

Balancing a chemical equation is the process of ensuring that the same number of each type of atom
appears on both the reactant and product sides of the equation. Here's how you can balance a chemical
equation:

1. Write the unbalanced equation: Start by writing down the chemical equation with the
reactants on the left and products on the right.
2. Count the atoms: Count the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. Keep
track of elements and their subscripts.
3. Begin with the most complex molecule: Start by balancing the atoms that appear in the fewest
compounds and have the highest coefficients.
4. Adjust coefficients: Add coefficients (whole numbers) in front of compounds to balance the
equation. You can't change subscripts in chemical formulas.
5. Recount the atoms: After adjusting coefficients, re-count the atoms on both sides of the
equation to see if they are now equal.
6. Repeat the process: If the equation is not balanced, continue adjusting coefficients and
counting atoms until the equation is balanced.
7. Reduce to simplest whole numbers: If coefficients have common factors, divide them to obtain
the simplest whole number ratios.

Balanced chemical equations obey the law of conservation of mass, which means that the total mass of
reactants equals the total mass of products. Balancing equations is essential in chemistry to represent
chemical reactions accurately.

Balancing Chemical Equations Practice Problems

Try to balance these ten equations on your own, then check the answers below. They range in
difficulty level, so don’t get discouraged if some of them seem too hard. Just remember to start with
the element that shows up the least, and proceed from there. The best way to approach these
problems is slowly and systematically. Looking at everything at once can easily get overwhelming.

1. CO2+ H2O → C6H12O6 + O2

2. SiCl4 + H2O → H4SiO4 + HCl
3. Al + HCl → AlCl3 + H2
4. Na2CO3 + HCl → NaCl + H2O + CO2
5. C7H6O2 + O2 → CO2 + H2O
6. Fe2(SO4)3 + KOH → K2SO4 + Fe(OH)3
7. Ca3(PO4)2 + SiO2 → P4O10 + CaSiO3
8. KClO3 → KClO4 + KCl
9. Al2(SO4)3 + Ca(OH)2 → Al(OH)3 + CaSO4
10. H2SO4 + HI → H2S + I2 + H2O
1. CO2 + H2O → C6H12O6 + O2
The first step to balancing chemical equations is to focus on elements that only appear once on each
side of the equation. Here, both carbon and hydrogen fit this requirement. So, we will start with
carbon. There is only one atom of carbon on the left-hand side, but six on the right-hand side. So, we
add a coefficient of six to the carbon-containing molecule on the left.

6CO2 + H2O → C6H12O6 + O2

Next, let’s look at hydrogen. There are two hydrogen atoms on the left and twelve on the right. So, we
will add a coefficient of six on the hydrogen-containing molecule on the leftovers.

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + O2

Now, it is time to check the oxygen. There are a total of 18 oxygen molecules on the left (6×2 + 6×1).
On the right, there are eight oxygen molecules. Now, we have two options to even out the right-hand
side: We can either multiply C6H12O6 or O2 by a coefficient. However, if we change C6H12O6, the
coefficients for everything else on the left-hand side will also have to change, because we will be
changing the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms. To prevent this, it usually helps to only change
the molecule containing the fewest elements; in this case, the O2. So, we can add a coefficient of six
to the O2 on the right. Our final answer will be:

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

2. SiCl4 + H2O → H4SiO4 + HCl

The only element that occurs more than once on the same side of the equation here is hydrogen, so
we can start with any other element. Let’s start by looking at silicon. Notice that there is only one
atom of silicon on either side, so we do not need to add any coefficients yet. Next, let’s look at
chlorine. There are four chlorine atoms on the left side and only one on the right. So, we will add a
coefficient of four on the right.

SiCl4 + H2O → H4SiO4 + 4HCl

Next, let’s look at oxygen. Remember that we first want to analyze all the elements that only occur
once on one side of the equation. There is only one oxygen atom on the left, but four on the right. So,
we will add a coefficient of four on the left-hand side of the equation.

SiCl4 + 4H2O → H4SiO4 + 4HCl

We are almost done! Now, we just have to check the number of hydrogen atoms on each side. The left
has eight and the right also has eight, so we are done. Our final answer is

SiCl4 + 4H2O → H4SiO4 + 4HCl

As always, make sure to double-check that the number of atoms of each element balances on each
side before continuing.

3. Al + HCl → AlCl3 + H2
This problem is a bit tricky, so be careful. Whenever a single atom is alone on either side of the
equation, it is easiest to start with that element. So, we will start by counting the aluminum atoms on
both sides. There is one on the left and one on the right, so we do not need to add any coefficients
yet. Next, let’s look at hydrogen. There is also one on the left, but two on the right. So, we will add a
coefficient of two on the left.

Al + 2HCl → AlCl3 + H2

Next, we will look at chlorine. There are now two on the left, but three on the right. Now, this is not
as straightforward as just adding a coefficient to one side. We need the number of chlorine atoms to
be equal on both sides, so we need to get two and three to be equal. We can accomplish this by
finding the lowest common multiple. In this case, we can multiply two by three and three by two to
get the lowest common multiple of six. So, we will multiply 2HCl by three and AlCl3 by two:

Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + H2

We have looked at all the elements, so it is easy to say that we are done. However, always make sure
to double-check. In this case, because we added a coefficient to the aluminum-containing molecule on
the right-hand side, aluminum is no longer balanced. There is one on the left but two on the right. So,
we will add one more coefficient.

2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + H2

We are not quite done yet. Looking over the equation one final time, we see that hydrogen has also
been unbalanced. There are six on the left but two on the right. So, with one final adjustment, we get
our final answer:

2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2

4. Na2CO3 + HCl → NaCl + H2O + CO2

Hopefully, by this point, balancing equations is becoming easier and you are getting the hang of it.
Looking at sodium, we see that it occurs twice on the left, but once on the right. So, we can add our
first coefficient to the NaCl on the right.

Na2CO3 + HCl → 2NaCl + H2O + CO2

Next, let’s look at carbon. There is one on the left and one on the right, so there are no coefficients to
add. Since oxygen occurs in more than one place on the left, we will save it for last. Instead, look at
hydrogen. There is one on the left and two on the right, so we will add a coefficient to the left.

Na2CO3 + 2HCl → 2NaCl + H2O + CO2

Then, looking at chlorine, we see that it is already balanced with two on each side. Now we can go
back to look at oxygen. There are three on the left and three on the right, so our final answer is

Na2CO3 + 2HCl → 2NaCl + H2O + CO2

 5. C7H6O2 + O2 → CO2 + H2O

We can start balancing this equation by looking at either carbon or hydrogen. Looking at carbon, we
see that there are seven atoms on the left and only one on the right. So, we can add a coefficient of
seven on the right.

C7H6O2 + O2 → 7CO2 + H2O

Then, for hydrogen, there are six atoms on the left and two on the right. So, we will add a coefficient
of three on the right.

C7H6O2 + O2→ 7CO2 + 3H2O

Now, for oxygen, things will get a little tricky. Oxygen occurs in every molecule in the equation, so we
have to be very careful when balancing it. There are four atoms of oxygen on the left and 17 on the
right. There is no obvious way to balance these numbers, so we must use a little trick: fractions. Now,
when balancing chemical equations, we cannot include fractions as it is not proper form, but it
sometimes helps to use them to solve the problem. Also, try to avoid over-manipulating organic
molecules. You can easily identify organic molecules, otherwise known as CHO molecules, because
they are made up of only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. We don’t like to work with these molecules,
because they are rather complex. Also, larger molecules tend to be more stable than smaller
molecules, and less likely to react in large quantities.

So, to balance out the four and seventeen, we can multiply the O2 on the left by 7.5. That will give us

C7H6O2 + 7.5O2 → 7CO2 + 3H2O

Remember, fractions (and decimals) are not allowed in formal balanced equations, so multiply
everything by two to get integer values. Our final answer is now

2C7H6O2 + 15O2 → 14CO2 + 6H2O

6. Fe2(SO4)3 + KOH → K2SO4 + Fe(OH)3-

We can start by balancing the iron on both sides. The left has two while the right only has one. So, we
will add a coefficient of two to the right.

Fe2(SO4)3 + KOH → K2SO4 + 2Fe(OH)3-

Then, we can look at sulfur. There are three on the left, but only one on the right. So, we will add a
coefficient of three to the right-hand side.

Fe2(SO4)3 + KOH → 3K2SO4 + 2Fe(OH)3-

We are almost done. All that is left is to balance the potassium. There is one atom on the left and six
on the right, so we can balance these by adding a coefficient of six. Our final answer, then, is
Fe2(SO4)3 + 6KOH → 3K2SO4 + 2Fe(OH)3-

7. Ca3(PO4)2 + SiO2 → P4O10 + CaSiO3

Looking at calcium, we see that there are three on the left and one on the right, so we can add a
coefficient of three on the right to balance them out.

Ca3(PO4)2 + SiO2 → P4O10 + 3CaSiO3

Then, for phosphorus, we see that there are two on the left and four on the right. To balance these,
add a coefficient of two on the left.

2Ca3(PO4)2 + SiO2 → P4O10 + 3CaSiO3

Notice that by doing so, we changed the number of calcium atoms on the left. Every time you add a
coefficient, double check to see if the step affects any elements you have already balanced. In this
case, the number of calcium atoms on the left has increased to six while it is still three on the right, so
we can change the coefficient on the right to reflect this change.

2Ca3(PO4)2 + SiO2 → P4O10 + 6CaSiO3

Since oxygen occurs in every molecule in the equation, we will skip it for now. Focusing on silicon, we
see that there is one on the left, but six on the right, so we can add a coefficient to the left.

2Ca3(PO4)2 + 6SiO2 → P4O10 + 6CaSiO3

Now, we will check the number of oxygen atoms on each side. The left has 28 atoms and the right also
has 28. So, after checking that all the other atoms are the same on both sides as well, we get a final
answer of

2Ca3(PO4)2 + 6SiO2 → P4O10 + 6CaSiO3

8. KClO3 → KClO4 + KCl

This problem is particularly tricky because every atom, except oxygen, occurs in every molecule in the
equation. So, since oxygen appears the least number of times, we will start there. There are three on
the left and four on the right. To balance these, we find the lowest common multiple; in this case, 12.
By adding a coefficient of four on the left and three on the right, we can balance the oxygens.

4KClO3 → 3KClO4 + KCl

Now, we can check potassium and chlorine. There are four potassium molecules on the left and four
on the right, so they are balanced. Chlorine is also balanced, with four on each side, so we are
finished, with a final answer of

4KClO3 → 3KClO4 + KCl

9. Al2(SO4)3 + Ca(OH)2 → Al(OH)3 + CaSO4

We can start here by balancing the aluminum atoms on both sides. The left has two molecules while
the right only has one, so we will add a coefficient of two on the right.

Al2(SO4)3 + Ca(OH)2 → 2Al(OH)3 + CaSO4

Now, we can check sulfur. There are three on the left and only one on the right, so adding a coefficient
of three will balance these.

Al2(SO4)3 + Ca(OH)2 → 2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSO4

Moving right along to calcium, there is only one on the left but three on the right, so we should add a
coefficient of three.

Al2(SO4)3 + 3Ca(OH)2 → 2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSO4

Double-checking all the atoms, we see that all the elements are balanced, so our final equation is

Al2(SO4)3 + 3Ca(OH)2 → 2Al(OH)3 + 3CaSO4

10. H2SO4 + HI → H2S + I2 + H2O

Since hydrogen occurs more than once on the left, we will temporarily skip it and move to sulfur.
There is one atom on the left and one on the right, so there is nothing to balance yet. Looking at
oxygen, there are four on the left and one on the right, so we can add a coefficient of four to balance
them.

H2SO4 + HI → H2S + I2 + 4H2O

There is only one iodine on the left and two on the right, so a simple coefficient change can balance
those.

H2SO4 + 2HI → H2S + I2 + 4H2O

Now, we can look at the most challenging element: hydrogen. On the left, there are four and on the
right, there are ten. So, we know we have to change the coefficient of either H2SO4 or HI. We want to
change something that will require the least amount of tweaking afterwards, so we will change the
coefficient of HI. To get the left-hand side to have ten atoms of hydrogen, we need HI to have eight
atoms of hydrogen, since H2SO4 already has two. So, we will change the coefficient from 2 to 8.

H2SO4 + 8HI → H2S + I2 + 4H2O

However, this also changes the balance for iodine. There are now eight on the left, but only two on
the right. To fix this, we will add a coefficient of 4 on the right. After checking that everything else
balances out as well, we get a final answer of

H2SO4 + 8HI → H2S + 4I2 + 4H2O