Young Writers Society

Does anyone here know anything about balancing equations in chemistry?????

what do you need to know? I may be able to brush up on my chemistry (the only science I was halfway decent at)

bring on the equations! I've got AP this year, so that should help.

Yep. I got an A in chemistry last semester!

It's just that I don't know how to solve them. I see like all the Mg's and get that but i don't see how to figure out how to solve them. I know the displacement stuff though. Can anyone explain how to solve them to me? Like here's an example:

MgNa + Al3 -> Mg2Al4 + Mg3Al2

HELP!!

Basically, you're trying to make sure that you have the same number of atoms on each side.

So you take the first side and you tally up the atoms:
1 Mg
1 Na
3 Al

Then you take the second side and tally them up (I'm assuming that all the numbers you have are modifying the elements before them):
5 Mg
6 Al

Now, you have a problem with this one because you suddenly have no Na, so I'm thinking that either you copied it wrong, or there is something very wrong with your textbook.

But what you would end up doing with this, is taking the first side and multiplying it so that it ended up with the same number of atoms as the other side.

Thanx it is helping a little. My text book must be screwed up cuz that is where I got it from.

Yeah, I learned this stuff this year, I was in the hospital when we learned most of it (began it) but yeah.
I'm alright with it, you're in good hands with dusky

Oh dear...

I think your book is completely wrong.

Dusky's right though.

My book is wrong...terrible. No wonder i'm not learning it right.

Kay Kay wrote:It's just that I don't know how to solve them. I see like all the Mg's and get that but i don't see how to figure out how to solve them. I know the displacement stuff though. Can anyone explain how to solve them to me? Like here's an example:

MgNa + Al3 -> Mg2Al4 + Mg3Al2

HELP!!

yep, i can definately see why you're confused. your book has gotta be wrong. if i were you, i'd talk to the teacher about this because i really don't think it makes any sense like this...

~KayJuran~