ABSTRACT
Chemical reactions, the transformation of chemical matter, involve the change in the composition of reactants into products. These changes are shown using chemical equations. In a chemical equation, the reactants are shown to the left, and there is an arrow pointing to the right where the products are listed. A balanced chemical equation uses coefficients to ensure that the number of each type of atom on the left matches the number of each type of product atom on the right. These coefficients are called stoichiometric coefficients and represent the amount (mole) ratios of each substance to the others. In this chapter, the balancing of a chemical equation (from empirical data and algorithmically) is discussed before turning to stoichiometric calculations. In stoichiometry, the stoichiometric coefficients are used to determine the mass (or volume) of products produced or reactants needed. The chapter concludes with discussions of limiting reagents and enthalpy of reaction values as extensions of stoichiometry calculations.
