Chemistry Tutorial: How to Balance Chemical Equations?

This chemistry tutorial video shows five steps to balance chemical equations. It uses the examples of three combustion chemical reactions- the burning of hydrogen, the burning of carbon and the burning of methane in oxygen.
A challenge is also set to balance the equation for the combustion of propane, with clues given to help solve the challenge.
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About Atomic School:
Atomic School supports the teaching of Atomic Theory to primary school & science students .
We provide lesson plans, hands-on classroom resources, demonstration equipment, quizzes and a Teacher's Manual to primary school teachers. Animated videos that clearly explain the scientific ideas supports learning by both teachers and students. As a teacher, you don't have to look anywhere else to implement this program.
Our work has been verified by science education researchers at the University of Southern Queensland, Dr Jenny Donovan and Dr Carole Haeusler, who confirm that primary students are capable of learning much more complex scientific concepts than previously thought, and crucially, that they love it. Students run to class!
The program has been trialed in Australian schools as well as schools in the Philippines, Iran and India. It is conducted as holiday workshops at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, the Queensland Museum as well as the World Science Festival.
It has attracted wide media interest, including TV, radio and print, and the research data has been presented at prestigious American Education Research Association and Australian Science Education Research Association conferences.
Atomic Theory underlies all the other sciences- genetics, electronics, nanotechnology, engineering and astronomy- so an early understanding will set them up for a more successful learning sequence for all their science subjects, and support their mastery of mathematics as well. We also have extension programs that cover Biology, Physics and Astronomy to an equal depth.
About Ian Stuart (Email: [e-mail]):
The founder of Atomic School, Ian Stuart, taught Chemistry and Physics for 25 years at senior levels before he realized that his 8-year old son, Tom, could understand Atomic Theory at a much deeper level than he expected. After visiting Tom's class at school, he discovered that his peers could also grasp the abstract scientific concepts, as well as apply it usefully to the real world.
Ian then developed a program to teach the advanced concepts of high school Chemistry, Physics and Biology to students 10 years younger than they normally would. He found that this engaged their interest in modern science early, and sustained it through to high school and beyond. It also sets them up for future success in their academic and career paths.
Ian has a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from the University of Queensland and a Master's degree in Electrochemistry from the University of Melbourne.
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Video transcript:
Let's try a different chemical reaction. Methane gas also explodes in oxygen gas, and you can see if we put one CH4 molecule and one O2 molecule into a box, we end up with two H2O molecules, but one C atom is left on its own with unused bonds. Let's put another O2 molecule in at the beginning. Boom! Yes, that's better, we now have product molecules with no unused bonds left over. Could we work these numbers out in advance without having to do the explosion?
Methane is a compound that contains both hydrogen and carbon atoms. When the molecules bust apart, both the hydrogen and the carbon atoms get attached to oxygen atoms, to form new molecules. We know that when hydrogen bonds to oxygen, we get H2O, water. But what about when carbon attaches to oxygen? What is the molecules that we end up with then? If we bond one oxygen to one carbon, we can see that a double bond could form between carbon and oxygen atoms. But carbon still has 2 unused bonds, so we need another oxygen atom. We end up with the formula CO2, carbon dioxide. Whenever oxygen reacts with carbon, or compounds containing carbon, CO2 is the usual product. You can remember that.
Let's write then balance the equation. First we can write the names of the reactants, methane and oxygen. Then we can write the names of the products, water and carbon dioxide. Then convert the names into formulas. Some formulas you will already know, and others you might be able to work out using the bonding rules. Methane is CH4, oxygen gas is O2, water is H2O and carbon dioxide is CO2.
Carbon is already balanced, but hydrogen and oxygen are not. There are 4 H atoms on the LHS and only 2 on the RHS. What to do? We can double the number of H2O molecules

[@sarahross6803]

Soooo grateful for your videos, I'm learning a lot. Thanks so much Ian.

[@AtomicSchool]

Thanks for your feedback Sarah.

[@kevandavies8651]

If the chemistry teacher had explained balancing the equations like this in 1972, then maybe I could have progressed to take 'O' level chemistry. I've learned so much in 4 of your videos. Thank you, Ian.

[@davidnemewe9192]

LOL

[@ThomasDeLello]

These are well done video tutorials. I'd like to have the whole set on a CD for personal home usage.

[@MaxDamage1984]

I've learnt more this in an hour of watching these videos then I have in 6 years of going to high school.

[@yuejima1]

Yeah, me too but where are the rest of the videos :-( I have an exam Saturday and need to them to continue studying lol but thanks for breaking the information down so well

[@SweetChesnut]

Your videos are excellent teaching aids but some of them are missing, is it because you are just starting the series?

[@djo_shorts6154]

God bless you for all your videos

[@AtomicSchool]

Thank you Desire

[@djo_shorts6154]

Your welcome sir.

[@GeniusHenryBaby]

@@AtomicSchool I always wanna talk to you

[@rowlandreeves5476]

Just excellent, Thank you.

[@AtomicSchool]

Thank you, Rowland.

[@heavenjahid]

C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O this is balanced equation of your question.

[@littlespoon7942]

Just gonna copy that down

[@t1world767]

Correct.. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@AtomicSchool]

Good to hear, Thomas

[@deesh620]

Excellent explanation thanks sir from sri lanka

[@AtomicSchool]

Thanks. Good time to bone up on Chemistry, while the rest of the country shuts down :)

[@robertmarks6525]

@@AtomicSchool sir where is part c i am not seeing it

[@AtomicSchool]

@@robertmarks6525 Sorry Robert, it's still in production.

[@candych0754]

균형화학반응식 완성

[@dshbhkt6186]

still producing part c? hehe why u chose to produce it after everything else? :p

[@dshbhkt6186]

No issues, u r doing a grt job....thx a lot :)

[@BluedoesMusic]

SPOILER ALERT: this is the balanced equation (I think) for propane:
C3H8 + 4O2 > 3C + H20

[@harshsharma1741]

Can't thank you enough sir for getting rid the years long idea that chemistry is not for is just because when we were students nobody taught us like this and maybe we also didn't give enough attention

[@AtomicSchool]

Thanks for your feedback.

[@nightnoise1963]

So very helpful to start with a comprehensive review of Part A. These video lessons are Top Shelf! Thank you!

[@AtomicSchool]

Thanks, Jack

[@AtomicSchool]

Thank you, Jack

[@GeniusHenryBaby]

@@AtomicSchool we can be friends together

[@pawankhosa3641]

I never thought that chemistry is this easy. I fell in love with chemistry hahahhahaha
Lot of thanks Ian Stuart
I balanced the successfully
waiting for part c eagerly

[@AtomicSchool]

You are totally welcome, Pawan

[@thewolfgirlliberation]

Learning a lot from your videos. Thank you

[@markmillerogden]

Where is part C? I want to check my answer.

[@loraborealis2551]

I love your videos. Thank you for making it easy to understand. Is there a possibility of the atoms rebonding to the same atoms after the flame causes the molecules to break apart, or do they always bond with different atoms?

[@loraborealis2551]

+Ian Stuart Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

[@asperse458]

Laura Lynn haha i am wondering the same question thanks for your answer

[@AtomicSchool]

Hi Laura. Better late than never :) Yes, the atoms can rebond with the same atoms. It then depends on how strong those bonds are compared to the alternative possible bonds, and how much heat is about. In this case, the O-H bonds are stronger, so they prevail. In other words H2O will be the dominant outcome (it's got two O-H bonds).

[@richardefrancoisfrancois7486]

Thankyou Mr. Stuart, from a struggling dad who never graduated sandpit you've given me hope to salvage my yr 10 sons science marks you've turned me into sydneys' most intelligent 'garbo' when can we expect part C please

[@richardefrancoisfrancois7486]

worth the wait

[@levilivesinwisconsin]

Hydrogen + Oxygen = Oxide

[@shiva3608]

nyc explination sir

[@heavenjahid]

O2 is an element. is C also an element? Can only one atom act as an element?

[@davidnemewe9192]

I think it is because in periodic table its shown as 1 atom only but we still call it an element

[@nmarbletoe8210]

I would say that O is the element oxygen, and O2 is a molecule made of two atoms of oxygen.
C is an element as well. Every one of the boxes on the periodic chart has an element.
You can also say that a hunk of iron is an element, but really we mean that it is made of only one element. The smallest amount of any element is one atom.

[@emusenut]

But where is 4.4 Chemical Equations: Part C? How will I know if I got the formula correct? :D

[@emusenut]

Thanks! And will you be adding Physics videos as well? There is a menu for them at AtomicKids.org but no videos ...

[@frankiethefrank]

Ian Stuart I got it right !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@manojkumar-nl1kn]

Thanks

[@AtomicSchool]

Welcome, Manoj

[@trafalgar22a8]

040623 🤎💛💚 Thank you