Stoichiometric Coefficients

[Madisen Brown -1C]

Can we assume that a problem with the stoichiometric coefficients already given in the chemical equation is balanced? In other words, would there ever be a scenario where the stoichiometric coefficients are given, but the equation isn't balanced?

[Emily Ding 1J]

Probably, but you should always check to be sure!

[Cassidy Cheng 1J]

I think you should always check to see if the equation is balanced!

[Ashley Ko 3I]

Hi! Sometimes you will be given chemical equations that need to be balanced first. So, a good rule of thumb would be to just check. The problem may also state if the chemical equation is balanced (if stated, then no need to balance). Hope this helps answer your question!

[Saumya Tawakley 1E]

Some of the problems in the pre-module and post-module assessments didn't have balanced equations, so I think you should always check and balance it!

[Margaret Wang 2D]

I feel like it's always good to check. The few seconds it takes to check beats wasting time realizing later. I've had many instances where I didn't check to see if the equation was balanced and just went ahead with the problem, and then realized when I've completed all the necessary steps that I had to balance the equation first, so all the work I had already done was useless.

[Ashley Kim 3H]

Yup, there are always problems that don't provide a balanced equation. It's always a good idea to double check!

[Jasraj Parmar 3H]

We cannot assume anything in Chemistry. If a problem has an equation, we should check and see if it is balanced. There will be instances where equations will not be balanced.

[Alara Aygen 3K]

Hi,
Sometimes some of the coefficients may be missing. So even though you see one stoichiometric coefficient, the rest of the equation may be unbalanced. It is always good to check before solving the question.

[asalest 2K]

hiii,
I would say always check and make sure it's balanced, even if other questions you've answered have been balanced always check. You don't want to solve a whole problem then have to redo it cause you didn't check and balance it in the beginning

[SophiaNguyen_2L]

Hey there! So far with the textbook work, I've encountered problems that did give us a balanced equation. However, as I got towards the end of the assignments, I noticed that the equations weren't balanced. So my guess is that as we move on to more advanced chemistry, we won't be given balanced equations for the most part.

[Kevin Pilcher 3J]

It's always better to be safe, especially in a chem class. You should definitely check to see that it is balanced before moving on.

[IshanModiDis2L]

It is definitely in your favor to check the coefficients and see that it is balanced. It does not take much time but it is important as the lack of balancing can very much change the outcome of your answer.

[Serena Song 1A]

I would say it's best to check because better safe than sorry! I've had so many instances where I forgot to check in the beginning and had to redo all the calculations. It ends up saving lots of time in the long run!

[Haochen He 3L]

I think it's best to always check the equation first. Usually it's quite easy to tell whether it's balanced or not.

[Madisen Brown -1C]

Hi,
Sometimes some of the coefficients may be missing. So even though you see one stoichiometric coefficient, the rest of the equation may be unbalanced. It is always good to check before solving the question.

Thanks for clarifying! I'll be sure to double-check before proceeding with the problem

[Isabella Cortes 2H]

Hello,
There will be some cases where there will be stoichiometric coefficients given in the equation where they will still be unbalanced. I would just make sure to double-check each equation! hope this helps :)

[Jason Knight - 1F]

Personally, I would not start the problem without making sure the equation is balanced even if stoichiometric coefficients are present. It would be an undesirable habit to get into, especially when we start learning more advanced topics. I've seen equations that have stoichiometric coefficients already labeled in the equation, but not every molecule is balanced. Better safe than sorry.

[Alexa Pham 1D]

I usually assume that equations with stoichiometric coefficients are balanced BUT I think it's best to always make sure. I need to get into the habit of doing this too!

[Crystal Hsueh 2L]

There will probably be quite a few occasions where the equation given to you is unbalanced and you will have to balance it. I'd say always check if the equation is balanced before doing anything else to it. The only time you would not have to check is if it states "In this balanced equation..." in the problem.

[ShinwooKim_3E]

Can we assume that a problem with the stoichiometric coefficients already given in the chemical equation is balanced? In other words, would there ever be a scenario where the stoichiometric coefficients are given, but the equation isn't balanced?

Yes! Some given equations can be tricky because they actually want you to balance it, but they don't need to necessarily tell you (you have to do it on your own).