Short Answer
A balanced chemical equation has the same number of atoms of each element on both the reactant side and the product side. It follows the law of conservation of mass, which means no atoms are created or destroyed during the reaction. Balanced equations show chemical reactions correctly and scientifically.
An unbalanced chemical equation does not have equal numbers of atoms on both sides of the equation. This makes it scientifically incorrect because it does not follow the conservation of mass. An unbalanced equation must be adjusted by adding coefficients to make it balanced.
Detailed Explanation :
Balanced and Unbalanced Chemical Equation
A chemical equation is used to describe a chemical reaction in a clear and simple way. It shows the reactants on the left side and the products on the right side. However, not all chemical equations written at first are correct. They must follow the important scientific rule called the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed. To follow this rule, the chemical equation must be balanced.
A balanced chemical equation is one in which the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. This means the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products. A balanced equation reflects the true nature of a chemical reaction because atoms are only rearranged, not created or lost.
An unbalanced chemical equation does not follow this rule. It may have more atoms of an element on one side and fewer on the other. This makes the equation incorrect because it suggests that atoms have disappeared or suddenly appeared, which is impossible in a real chemical reaction. Every chemical equation must be balanced before it can be used for calculations or scientific explanations.
Balanced Chemical Equation
A balanced chemical equation shows that the reaction follows the conservation of mass. To balance an equation, we use numbers called coefficients in front of chemical formulas. These coefficients change the number of molecules or moles without changing the substance itself. For example:
2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O
In this equation, there are four hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms on both sides. This makes it balanced. This balanced form allows chemists to understand how much of each reactant is needed and how much product will be formed. It also helps predict the behavior of the reaction in real-life conditions.
Unbalanced Chemical Equation
An unbalanced chemical equation is incomplete and scientifically incorrect. Example:
H₂ + O₂ → H₂O
Here, the reactant side has two oxygen atoms, but the product side has only one. This suggests that one oxygen atom disappeared, which cannot happen. Because unbalanced equations do not show the correct number of atoms, they cannot be used to study or calculate reactions properly.
Unbalanced equations often appear in the first step of writing a reaction. They must always be adjusted using coefficients until every element has the same number of atoms on both sides.
Why the Difference Matters
The difference between a balanced and unbalanced equation is very important in chemistry. Balanced equations allow accurate calculations in laboratories and industries. For example, when producing medicines or fertilisers, chemists must know the exact amounts of reactants needed. If the equation were unbalanced, the calculations would be wrong, leading to waste or unsafe reactions.
Balanced equations also help in understanding the reaction completely. They show the correct ratios of reactants and products, which helps predict the outcome of the reaction. On the other hand, unbalanced equations give an incomplete or wrong idea of the reaction. They do not give useful information and cannot be used for scientific purposes.
Connection to Conservation of Mass
The law of conservation of mass is the reason why chemical equations must be balanced. Since no atom is created or destroyed, the total number of atoms of each element must be equal on both sides. Balanced equations obey this law, while unbalanced equations violate it. This difference highlights why balancing is necessary in every chemical reaction shown on paper.
Balanced equations also help students and scientists understand that chemical reactions are processes where substances change form, but the total mass remains constant. Unbalanced equations ignore this important scientific truth.
Examples in Daily Life
Cooking, burning, rusting, and digestion all follow chemical reactions that obey the conservation of mass. If we write the equations for these reactions, they must be balanced. For instance, when wood burns, it forms ash, carbon dioxide, and water vapour. Even though the products look very different, the total mass remains the same.
If we wrote this reaction in an unbalanced form, it would not represent what actually happens in nature.
Conclusion
A balanced chemical equation has equal numbers of atoms of each element on both sides and follows the law of conservation of mass. An unbalanced equation does not follow this rule and shows unequal atoms on the reactant and product sides. Understanding the difference helps us write correct chemical equations, perform accurate calculations, and study reactions scientifically.