CHRIS25
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balancing equations
I was reading how to balance equations on this site (http://www.chemicalaid.com/tools/equationbalancer.php). I thought this is so straight forward. Until I went back to step one and noticed this:
Na + O2 = Na2O. So now I am left thinking that I would have to know a whole lot of chemistry before I can even begin to balance the baby stuff? Or?
Is there some logic here? Yes I am very exceedingly ignorant, but unless someone can explain what I am reading I am lost. How do we end up with an
extra Na and one less oxygen before the equation even begins to get balanced. Had I followed the rules of logic I would begin with NaO2 and continue
from there. Thnakyou.
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mnick12
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Well while that equation is essentialy correct it is lacking the proper coefficients, the balanced equation would be 4Na+O2-->2Na2O. Oxygen forms a
2- while sodium forms a 1+, so for every oxygen you need two equivalents of sodium. I have not read the link you posted entirely, however some of it
looks misleading. My suggestion is to find a high school chemistry book, in general they do a pretty decent job explaining how to balance equations.
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CHRIS25
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Ok thankyou. I shall.
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Hexavalent
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I agree with mnick . . .you really need to know how to balance equations and write formulae, perform simple stoichiometry calculations and be able to
convert between masses and mole equivalents at the very least, in order to get the most out of your practical experiments. A fairly good knowldegde
of the elements is also ideal, in addition to memorising ion formulae and being able to roughly predict the solubility of chemicals such as common
inorganic compounds.
[Edited on 13-4-2012 by Hexavalent]
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
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Magpie
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The key to understanding chemical formulas for compounds and hence the key to balancing equations is the element's valence. This is one of
the first concepts taught in an elementary chemistry textbook.
The single most important condition for a successful synthesis is good mixing - Nicodem
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