Intepreting+Equations

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**What's in an equation?** A balanced equation **displays how much of each element is present in a formula's reactants and products** . N 2 (g) + 3H 2 (g) -> 2 NH 3 (g), for example, tells us that one atom of nitrogen reacts with three moles of hydrogen to form two moles of ammonia. Simple enough, right? [|Interpreting a balanced chem. eqn. (1).doc] [|Interpreting a balanced chem. eqn. (2).doc] [|Interpreting a balanced chem. eqn.(2 part 2).doc]

Well, there are //many// other ways to look at the quantities of the aforementioned substances. It is vital for chemists to interpret an equation from every angle.

**How to read an equation in terms of... **

The number and types of atoms in a formula's reactants make up each product; this means **the number and types of atoms never change in a reaction** . 
 * <span style="line-height: 26px; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; color: rgb(255,54,0); font-size: 18px;">**Numbers of atoms**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; font-size: 140%;">One molecule of nitrogen reacts with 3 molecules of hydrogen.
 * <span style="line-height: 27px; color: rgb(255,54,0); font-size: 18px;">**Number of molecules**

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; font-size: 126%;">The <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; color: rgb(254,27,27); font-size: 126%;">**coefficients** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; font-size: 126%;"> of every product and reactant determine how many moles of each are present in an equation. For example, in the equation "2A -> B + 3C," two moles of A yield one mole of B and three moles of C. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; color: rgb(254,27,27); font-size: 126%;">**Do not mix up coefficients with subscripts** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; font-size: 126%;">, though; subscripts represent the number of //atoms// of a substance.
 * <span style="line-height: 27px; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; color: rgb(255,54,0); font-size: 18px;">**Moles of products & reactants**

Law of Conservation - mass can be neither created nor destroyed in an ordinary chemical or physical process
 * <span style="line-height: 27px; color: rgb(255,54,0); font-size: 18px;">**Mass**


 * <span style="line-height: 27px; color: rgb(254,27,27); font-size: 18px;">**Volume**

Only for gases STP 1mol of any gas at STP occupies a volume of 22.4L <span style="line-height: 35px; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif; color: rgb(255,54,0); font-size: 23px;">