Chemical Equation Balancer & Calculator
Chemistry is one of the most important branches of natural science. Although it is often considered a complicated and monotonous discipline, the reality is much different. Chemistry is highly practical, logical, and valuable in all aspects of our life in some way or the other.
The laws of chemistry dictate many of the natural phenomena we see occurring around us – be it the blazing sun above, clouds, volcanic eruptions, photosynthesis, and even our own bodies.
In our everyday life, chemistry plays a vital role in areas like cleaning, cooking, and medicine. It has become even more relevant today because of the demand for eco-friendly products and procedures.
Isn’t it fascinating to think how there are millions of chemical reactions taking place in our bodies as we run, sit, eat, or even just breathe? The knowledge of chemistry is thus essential for students aiming to become doctors, pharmacists, physicists, nutritionists, geologists, or agronomists.
The foundations of chemistry are based on mathematics and logic. Thus, one needs to be strong in those areas to understand chemical reactions and properties. For example, chemical equations are used to represent how a chemical reaction takes place. These equations need to be balanced in order to obey the laws of conservation of mass and energy.
Balancing a chemical equation can be a rather tricky and time-consuming task at times. If you have been facing difficulties with the same or are simply short of time, you could try using the chemical equation calculator to balance the equation. You can rely on it to give you fast and accurate results. Let’s take a closer look at the features of this unique chemical equation balancer & calculator.
Table of Contents
What is a Chemical Equation?
Before we read about the chemical equation calculator, let us first understand what a chemical equation is. In chemistry, an equation is basically the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction. According to the law of conservation of mass, atoms are neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. What occurs during a chemical reaction is the rearrangement of atoms. In a chemical equation, the reactants and products are conventionally shown on the left and right sides of an arrow, respectively.
Obeying the laws of conservation of mass and charge, both the numbers of every type of atom and the total charge have to be the same on both sides of a balanced chemical equation. The only difference on each side of the equation is the arrangement of the atoms to form ions or molecules. That is because in a reaction, usually the reactants’ bonds are broken and new bonds are to give rise to the products. If the numbers of each kind of atom on the two sides of an equation are different, then the reaction is unbalanced. As a result, it fails to correctly represent what takes place during the reaction.
For example, consider the example given below:
CH4 + Cl2 → CCl4 + HCl
The balanced chemical equation for the above reaction is:
CH4 + 4Cl2 → CCl4 + 4HCl
Using a chemical equation, we can also determine the equilibrium constant of the reaction (Keq). It is defined as the value of a reaction’s reaction quotient at the state of chemical equilibrium. The Keq of a reaction is formulated as the amount of products divided by the amounts of reactants. Here, each amount is in terms of either the concentration or partial pressure, raised to the power of its coefficient in the balanced chemical equation.
There are many ways of manually balancing a chemical equation. However, these methods tend to be time-consuming and, occasionally, complicated. The chemical equation calculator is of great help to students, teachers, and scientists who need to balance a chemical equation accurately and speedily.
What is the Chemical Equation Calculator?
The chemical equation calculator is a helpful online tool that can accurately balance a given chemical equation within seconds. Apart from this, it is also capable of displaying the chemical structure and properties of a given substance, along with its chemical name and formula. It can even display the equilibrium constant (Keq) of the reaction for you.
This useful tool is completely free to use and can be accessed from anywhere in the world as long as you have a working Internet connection. This works as a chemical equation balancer with steps as well.
How to Use the Chemical Equation Calculator?
You can use the chemical equation balancer & calculator by following the simple steps given below:
- Open the calculator and type the required chemical equation into the input field.
- Click the Balance button.
Within a few seconds, the calculator will display the balanced chemical equation in a new window, along with the equilibrium constant and the chemical structures and formulae of the elements and compounds involved.
The chemical equation calculator has been programmed with a state-of-the-art algorithm to ensure accurate results in a short time. It is highly recommended for beginners and professionals alike.
Balance a Chemical Equation Manually
Not everything has to be done with a chemical equation balancer & calculator. In the exams, you will have to do it manually and on paper.
Balancing a chemical equation involves determining the correct number of atoms of each element that are involved in a chemical reaction.
The reactants (the starting materials) must be balanced with the products (the materials formed in the reaction) regarding the number of atoms of each element present. To balance a chemical equation, you can follow these steps:
- Write the unbalanced equation with the reactants on the left side and the products on the right side.
- Identify the elements that are present in the reactants and the products.
- Determine the number of atoms of each element present in the reactants and the products.
- If the number of atoms of an element on the reactant side does not match the number of atoms on the product side, add a coefficient (a number in front of a chemical formula) to balance the number of atoms.
- Check that the equation is balanced by ensuring that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.
For example, the balanced chemical equation for the combustion of methane (CH4) is:
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
