Count atoms in chemical equations

Concept

**What you'll learn** This lesson covers **Count atoms in chemical equations**. Understanding this topic builds your mathematical foundation and connects to other ideas in the course. **Key ideas** Work through the definitions, examples, and procedures. Pay attention to when and how to apply the main concept. Practice with the exercise below to reinforce your understanding. **Why it matters** These skills appear in later lessons and in real-world applications. Take time to check your work and use the quiz to confirm you've got the main idea.

Try it

Practice: Count atoms in chemical equations. 1. Work through one example from the concept section. 2. Try a similar problem with different numbers or a slight variation. 3. Explain in one sentence how you knew what to do.

Concept Check

Key terms

Balance the Equation

Change coefficients so the number of H and O atoms matches on both sides.

Edit the coefficients (numbers in front of each formula) so the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.