z

Young Writers Society


Chemistry Burns



Random avatar


Gender: Male
Points: 6040
Reviews: 142
Mon May 15, 2006 1:20 am
Doctor Kitty says...



Uh...I have no idea how to balance equations...No matter how hard I try. :(

For example:

Sc + HBr --> ScBr3 + H2

Sorry about the lack of subscripts, but there aren't any coefficients in this particular one anyway...

Can anyone help?
  





User avatar
9 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 890
Reviews: 9
Mon May 15, 2006 1:33 am
View Likes
Sammi D says...



I think I can! But please don't harbor any resentment if I actually don't have it right -- but it's worth a shot anyway!

Sc + HBr --> ScBr3 + H2

See how there are 3 Br's on the right side? In order to balance it, there must be 3 Br's on the other side. So you add a 3 as a coefficient to the HBr on the left side, to get 3 Br's. So it becomes:

Sc + 3HBr --> ScBr3 + H2

Since the 3HBr also makes 3 H's, you need to make it so the H on the right side is equal. However, there are already 2 H's there, and you can only add a co-efficient. So what you do, is you put a 3 in front of the H2 so it creates 6 H's. Then, you go back to the right side and change the 3HBr to the 6Hbr so the H's are balanced.

Sc + 6HBr --> ScBr3 + 3H2

Then, to balance the Br's on the right side, you put a 2 in front of the ScBr3. Then, it becomes:

Sc + 6HBr --> 2ScBr3 + 3H2

Then, to finish it off, you put a 2 before the Sc on the left side, so its balanced with the one on the right. So your final balanced equation is:

2Sc +6HBr --> 2ScBr3 + 3H2

When you look at the balanced equation, you can see that there is the same amount of each element on both the left and right side. :) Hope I helped! Chemistry isn't my strongest subject, but balancing equations is something I'm fairly decent at.


-Sam
"I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle player, too. And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll
make a bet with you."

- Charlie Daniel's Band, The Devil Went Down to Georgia


[Avatar Credit: DoubleTrouble__ on Livejournal.com]


- Sammi D -
  





Random avatar


Gender: Male
Points: 6040
Reviews: 142
Mon May 15, 2006 2:30 am
View Likes
Doctor Kitty says...



Hey, thanks. I got that same answer after I knocked it around in my brain for half an hour...

Now just 7 more to go. :(
  





User avatar
9 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 890
Reviews: 9
Mon May 15, 2006 3:01 am
View Likes
Sammi D says...



Eep, sounds like a joy. >.< I know the horrors of Chemistry homework as well.

Good luck!
"I guess you didn't know it but I'm a fiddle player, too. And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll
make a bet with you."

- Charlie Daniel's Band, The Devil Went Down to Georgia


[Avatar Credit: DoubleTrouble__ on Livejournal.com]


- Sammi D -
  





User avatar
368 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 1125
Reviews: 368
Sun Jul 23, 2006 10:10 am
Shine says...



My head goes round and round when I find loads of equation based questions in my chemistry tests.
"A good plot is like a dream.If you dont write down your dream on paper the moment you wake up,the chances are you'll forget it and it'll be gone forever"-Roald Dalh.
  





User avatar
161 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 890
Reviews: 161
Sun Jul 23, 2006 1:10 pm
View Likes
Cassandra says...



Eww. I hate balancing equations. :?
  








We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
— William Shakespeare