If the reactants and products are correct but the atoms of one element are unequal, what is the conclusion?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: The equation is still unbalanced.
Writing the correct chemical formulas identifies the substances, but a complete equation must also obey conservation of atoms. The number of atoms of every element must be equal on the reactant and product sides. If even one element has unequal counts, the equation is not balanced and suitable coefficients must be added without changing subscripts. Thus A is correct. The other options confuse an incomplete equation with no reaction or no substances.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct answer to this question?
The equation is still unbalanced.
Why is this the correct answer?
Writing the correct chemical formulas identifies the substances, but a complete equation must also obey conservation of atoms. The number of atoms of every element must be equal on the reactant and product sides. If even one element has unequal counts, the equation is not balanced and suitable coefficients must be added without changing subscripts. Thus A is correct. The other options confuse an incomplete equation with no reaction or no substances.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 10 Science question. Chapter: Chemical Substances – Nature and Behaviour. Topic: Chemical Reactions and Equations.
