To determine if a chemical equation is balanced, follow these steps:
1. Count the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. This includes atoms of elements present in the reactants and products.
2. Compare the number of each type of atom in the reactants to the number in the products. They should be equal for the equation to be balanced.
3. Adjust the coefficients of the reactants and products to balance the equation. Coefficients are the numbers in front of the chemical formulas. Changing these numbers can balance the equation.
4. Re-count the number of atoms after adjusting the coefficients to ensure that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the equation.
5. Repeat the process if needed until the equation is balanced, meaning the number of atoms of each element is equal in both reactants and products.
