What is a balanced chemical equation? Why should chemical equations be balanced?
A balanced chemical equation is a chemical equation in which the number of atoms for each element in the reactants is equal to the number of atoms for that element in the products. This is done to ensure consistency with the law of conservation of mass and also allows calculation of the relative amounts of reactants and products needed to complete a reaction. Balancing chemical equations is a fundamental step in understanding the stoichiometry of a reaction and determining the amount of heat generated or absorbed.