KEY POINTS:

  • The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is basically the Wizardry of Chemistry. It states the rules for naming all substances that must be applied worldwide. Such consistency in science is essential.
  • Chemical formulae allow researchers from all over the world to easily summarise a reaction and communicate with each other quickly.
  • More importantly a chemical equation must obey the Law of Conservation of Mass. You must have an equal number of each type of atom on the left and right hand side of the equation.
  • YOU CANNOT ALTER THE CHEMICAL FORMULA OF A SUBSTANCE! Sodium chloride will always be NaCl, and cannot be changed to NaCl2 for the sake of convenience.
  • So big numbers – stoichiometric coefficients – must be added where necessary and balanced.
  • As with all things – practice may not make perfect, but it helps. Always look to write balanced equations every opportunity you get.

Balancing Symbol Equations

Balancing Chemical Equations

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX:

  • The universe is subject to many different laws – can you think of any others from the fields of physics or biology?
  • Can we actually count the number of individual atoms present in a sample of material? What is the quantitative unit for measurement in chemistry?

Atomic Theory Development

Return to the previous page.

Moles & Mathematics

What mass of oxygen is needed to burn a kilogram of methane? How can the periodic table help?