Order of steps

[Harjot Manku 1C]

When I'm balancing equations which element do I choose first?

[Jennah Muhammad 1H]

Start with the element that occurs the least

[ludrin8348]

Another helpful tip is to count the number of atoms that you have in each side, so that you can have a better understanding of which atoms you need to alter.

[Curtis Tam 1J]

In a combustion reaction, balancing C and H should always go first. Since O2 is always by itself, it is easiest to balance this reactant last. In general, however, like what Jennah said, the element that occurs the least should be balanced first.

[Adam Enomoto 1L]

My best advice is to write out what elements are involved separately and as I add coefficients to the molecules, I then count how many moles of that element are on each side.

[MichelleT_1L]

Personally, it seems easiest to choose the most "complex" compound from the reactants and begin balancing the corresponding elements on the product side. This way, you can get rid of the more difficult compounds at the beginning, and the rest will be easier to balance.

[Irma Ramos 2I]

Honestly, when balancing equations I usually go with the first one that comes in the order of the equation and from there I balance the rest. I might need to go back and fix ones that I already balanced, but this usually works.