The Language of Chemistry

Chemical Reactions : The Rules
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"Matter can neither be created nor destroyed by chemical means"

This is a really important rule to remember when you are making chemical equations. You must always make sure that you have the same number of each type of atom on either side of the chemical equation. You cannot lose or gain any atoms!

Take another look at the two equations above:
 
In the first equation you will find one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms on either side of the reaction arrow.
In the second equation there are two nitrogen atoms and six hydrogen atoms on the reactants' side of the equation. There are the same numbers on the products' side.

Atoms have neither been created or destroyed, they have simply been rearranged to make different molecules.

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