What is a balanced chemical equation? Why should chemical equations be balanced?
A balanced chemical equation is one in which the number of atoms of each type involved in a chemical reaction is the same on the reactant and product sides of the equation. This means the total count of atoms for every element remains the same on both sides of the arrow.
Chemical equations must be balanced to satisfy the law of conservation of mass. This law states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. Therefore, the total mass of the elements present in the products must be equal to the total mass of the elements present in the reactants. Balancing ensures that atoms are neither created nor lost during the reaction.
Explanation
The answer is derived directly from Section 1.1.2 of the provided text. The definition is taken from the bullet point stating that a balanced equation has the same numbers of atoms on the reactant and product sides. The reasoning is based on the text's reference to the 'law of conservation of mass' learned in Class IX, which mandates that mass is conserved, requiring the balancing of skeletal equations.