A Fundamental Concept of Chemistry
One of the most prominent aspects that you encounter the fundamentals of chemistry is chemical equations. Designed by Jean Beguin, a prominent iatrochemistry in 1615, chemical equations are defined as a written representation of chemical equations with the means of formulae, symbols, and other required terminologies. In layman’s terms, chemical reactions help us to understand how matter works and reacts with each other.
Another highly important aspect associated with balancing chemical equations is balancing them. In fact, you might have often needed to balance certain equations while learning how various elements and compounds reacted with each other. But, have you wondered why do we need to balance our equations? If your answer is no, read on as you find out why.
The Process In A Gist
By now, you might have become well aware of how chemical equations are balanced. In fact, the intensity at you have been balancing chemical equations should be enough for you to create a self-authored worksheets for balanced chemical equations.
The process is simple, you start with balancing a single element, preferably one that isn’t hydrogen or oxygen. You proceed on with the trial-and-error method and voila, you have a balanced equation before you. But lets on move to the more important part, the need for you to balance equations.
The Law of Conservation of Mass
There are endless reasons as to why you need to balance your chemical equations. However, the primary reason for balancing is to ensure the law of conservation of mass. According to the law of conservation of mass, in a chemical reaction, the mass of products and reactants should always stay the same.
Sir Antoine Lavoisier was the first to promote that, in a chemical reaction, the matter can neither be created nor can it be destroyed. The amount of matter involved in any equation cannot change. Balancing the elements present in the equation ensures that the mass of products and the reactants involved are the same.
The Importance of the Law
And there you go, now you know why we need to balance our equations. It is to enforce the law of conservation of mass. Why is it the importance?
In actuality, it was the law of conservation of mass that ultimately helped chemistry to become actual science. Before this law, individuals often attributed the production of new elements in a reaction to alchemy, magic, and mysticism. They failed to understand that reactions were, ultimately, completely scientific and comprehensible.
In the world today, the law plays an ever-larger role. By keeping the law in retrospect, scientists are able to understand how the reactions for individual elements will work. Simply by identifying and analyzing these, scientists are able to predict the products that are produced.
Furthermore, understanding of the law even helps manufacturers associated with the field. By understanding the reactions, they are able to increase the efficiency of their work functions and implement this in their production practices.
