Which of the following best describes a balanced chemical equation?

• A. An equation in which only the coefficients are equal on both sides.
• B. An equation in which the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the reaction.
• C. An equation in which the total number of molecules is equal on both sides.
• D. An equation in which the reactants and products are written in alphabetical order.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a balanced chemical equation must obey the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.
2. Recognize that this means the number of atoms of each element must be the same on both the reactant and product sides of the equation.
3. Note that coefficients in a chemical equation are used to balance the number of atoms for each element, not just to make coefficients equal or to balance the number of molecules.
4. Realize that simply having equal coefficients or equal numbers of molecules does not guarantee the equation is balanced in terms of atoms.
5. Conclude that the best description of a balanced chemical equation is one where the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the reaction.