NCERT Question 4

What is a Balanced Chemical Equation?

A balanced chemical equation is a chemical equation in which the number of atoms of each element is equal on both the reactant and product sides.

Example:

H₂ + O₂ → H₂O ❌(Unbalanced)

2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O ✅(Balanced)

Why Should Chemical Equations Be Balanced?

Chemical equations must be balanced to obey the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that:

“Mass can neither be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.”

This means the total number of atoms of each element must be same before and after the reaction.