Balancing reactions

Balancing chemical reactions ensures that the number of atoms for each element remains the same on both sides of the equation, reflecting the law of conservation of mass. When a reaction occurs, atoms are neither created nor destroyed; they are simply rearranged. To balance, coefficients are adjusted—these are the numbers placed before molecules or atoms—so that the total count of each element in the reactants equals that in the products. This process makes the equation accurately represent what physically happens during the reaction.