Where to start [ENDORSED]

[inlovewithchemistry]

When balancing, where does everyone start? Does everyone always balance the one that occurs the least first? I was wondering if there are any other methods that people use because I have had trouble with balancing equations for a while. Thanks!

[Brevin Hensley 1C]

I always try to balance the molecule that appears least first. These problems tend to be trial and error as you try to balance them.

[hannahdaijo_4H]

When I was first taught to balance chemical reactions, we were told to draw out basic symbols to represent each atom/molecule (like circles or x's) so that you could more tangibly recognize when the equation is balanced. So that may help, but also like Jillian said, starting with the least represented molecule is a good start point.

[josephperez_2C]

It usually helps me to look at the entire equation and see if any atoms are already balanced and then balance the others accordingly.

[104904344]

I usually balance the molecule that appears least first. I also usually balance any hydrogen/oxygen molecules last since they are often on both sides of the equation.

[Dayna Pham 1I]

Hello!
I also start balancing with whatever element occurs the least. Sometimes, I leave the ones that are on their own (like O2) for the end, so I can just balance it accordingly with the other side, and it won’t affect any other element.

Hope this helped!

[Daniel Chang 3I]

My preference is looking for atoms that appear the fewest amount or looking for atoms with good multiple (3 to 6)

[Courtney McHargue 1I]

I always start by balancing the more unique elements that only occur once on each side of the reaction equation. I then balance the more common elements that show up multiple times throughout the equation, such as H, O and C. After that I can finish balancing the equation with any elements that are on their own, such as O2, as you can easily multiply them by a coefficient to complete balancing without affecting the number of any other elements.

[Liset Rivera 3A]

I usually write down the elements and the amount of atoms.Then I see which one has the fewest amount of atoms and start balancing them.

[Noh_Jasmine_1J]

I usually start with the one that appears the least (usually only once) because then I don't have to search around and make sure I'm adding all the moles correctly. After starting with the least, I see which numbers would be easiest to match and go from there

[Vanadium Wang 4H]

Something else I've noticed is that compounds with more elements tend to have smaller values (1-3) so you could look to them to give you an idea on how to balance the equation