Chemistry Balancing Act POGIL Worksheet Model 3 – I don’t get it
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
In the Chemistry Balancing Act POGIL Worksheet Model 3, the main goal is to understand how to balance chemical equations based on the Law of Conservation of Mass. This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Therefore, the number of atoms of each element must be the same on both sides of the equation.
Model 3 typically presents a more complex unbalanced chemical equation compared to earlier models. An example may be:
C₃H₈ + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O
To balance this equation:
- Count atoms of each element on both sides:
- On the left: C = 3, H = 8, O = 2
- On the right: C = 1 (in CO₂), H = 2 (in H₂O), O = 3 (2 in CO₂ and 1 in H₂O)
- Balance carbon atoms:
- Place a coefficient 3 in front of CO₂:
C₃H₈ + O₂ → 3CO₂ + H₂O
- Place a coefficient 3 in front of CO₂:
- Balance hydrogen atoms:
- Place a coefficient 4 in front of H₂O:
C₃H₈ + O₂ → 3CO₂ + 4H₂O
- Place a coefficient 4 in front of H₂O:
- Balance oxygen atoms:
- Right side has 3×2 = 6 (from CO₂) + 4×1 = 4 (from H₂O) = 10 O atoms
- Left side O₂ means 2 oxygen atoms per molecule
- 10 ÷ 2 = 5, so place a 5 in front of O₂:
C₃H₈ + 5O₂ → 3CO₂ + 4H₂O
Now the equation is balanced:
- Carbon: 3 atoms on both sides
- Hydrogen: 8 atoms on both sides
- Oxygen: 10 atoms on both sides
Balancing equations ensures accuracy in chemical predictions and reflects real-world chemical behavior. Coefficients in front of compounds change the quantity of molecules, not the identity of the compounds. Subscripts inside formulas must remain unchanged, as they represent the actual structure of the molecules.
