Balancing chemical equations is a crucial first step in understanding stoichiometry, which focuses on the quantitative relationships between reactants and products in a chemical reaction. Stoichiometry enables us to calculate the amounts of products formed from given reactants and vice versa. For instance, consider the balanced chemical equation:
2 H2 (g) + O2 (g) → 2 H2O (g)
In this example, 2 moles of hydrogen gas react with 1 mole of oxygen gas to produce 2 moles of water vapor. If we know that 12.3 grams of H2 are involved in the reaction, we can use stoichiometry to determine the mass of water (H2O) produced.
To perform stoichiometric calculations, one must follow a systematic approach that involves using the coefficients from the balanced equation to relate the quantities of different substances. This process will be explored further in subsequent discussions, where specific procedures for conducting stoichiometric calculations will be outlined.