What are the drawbacks of algebraic balancing in chemical reactions?
Answers
Answer:
Whilst the combination of algebra and balancing chemical equations might sound horrifying, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The algebra part is pretty straightforward, nothing more difficult than the simultaneous equations you’d encounter at GCSE-level maths, if that.
That being said, it is a mathematical approach that is only suitable for mathematically-minded A Level or IB students. If you learn it, it can be a very fast way to balance difficult equations that are hard to balance by inspection, but there is no formal requirement to learn this method, nor should you ever need to use it to balance a chemical equation on an A Level or IB Diploma exam.
There are two algebraic methods, the normal algebraic method and a simplified version, which is the best way to crack the toughest equations. Let’s look at the algebraic method first.
A balanced chemical equation occurs when the number of the different atoms of elements in the reactants side is equal to that of the products side. Balancing chemical equations is a process of trial and error.