Meaning & use
balanced equation
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablechemistryspecialist
A chemical equation in which the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.
Grammar: Used in chemistry to describe a correctly written equation.
Patterns
- write a balanced equation
- a balanced equation for something
The teacher asked us to write a balanced equation for the reaction.
A balanced equation shows that mass is conserved in a chemical reaction.
You must balance the equation before you can use it in calculations.
Word forms
| plural | balanced equations |
|---|
Common combinations
- write a balanced equation
- Can you write a balanced equation for the combustion of methane?
- balanced equation for
- The balanced equation for photosynthesis is complex.
- balanced chemical equation
- A balanced chemical equation obeys the law of conservation of mass.
Synonyms and how they differ
- balanced chemical equation
- A longer, more explicit term used especially in textbooks to avoid confusion with mathematical equations.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: balanced equation or chemical equation?
balanced equation vs chemical equation
A chemical equation may or may not be balanced. A balanced equation is one that has been checked and adjusted so the atoms match.
Practice
What is true about a balanced equation?
Choose one answer.
A balanced equation has equal numbers of each kind of atom on both sides, which reflects the law of conservation of mass. The other options are incorrect because balancing is about equality of atoms, not about the state of the substances.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “balanced equation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.