Why must chemical equations be balanced?

• A. To guarantee that the reaction occurs faster.
• B. To allow for the creation of new elements during the reaction.
• C. To ensure the law of conservation of mass is obeyed, with equal numbers of each atom on both sides of the equation.
• D. To make sure the products are always more than the reactants.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a chemical equation represents a chemical reaction, showing reactants on the left and products on the right.
2. Recall the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.
3. Recognize that balancing a chemical equation means having the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.
4. Balancing ensures that the equation accurately reflects the actual quantities of substances involved, obeying the conservation of mass.
5. Therefore, chemical equations must be balanced to correctly represent the reaction and comply with fundamental physical laws.