Balancing Equations (Chemistry)

At a glance:

Topics: balancing chemical equations, chemical equation structure, equation coefficients, the difference between atoms and molecules, conservation of mass

Grades: 8-10

Standards: NGSS MS-PS1-5

Duration to complete: 10-15 minutes

Learning outcome: Students will begin to conceptualize conservation of mass. Students will become familiar with the structure of chemical equations, understand what it means when an equation is balanced, understand the difference between atoms and molecules, and learn how to adjust coefficients of reactants and products to balance an equation.

Intro for students: Dive headfirst into balancing chemical equations! See firsthand how matter is conserved in chemical reactions! Visualize how reactants combine to form products, and learn how every single atom should be accounted for on both sides of a chemical equation. Perhaps Thanos was talking about chemistry when he said, ‘Perfectly balanced... as all things should be’. #chemistry #balancingequations #phenomena #balanced #conservationofmass

What makes this topic challenging for kids?

Chemistry will always be difficult for a new student to conceptualize at the molecular level. Students do not have a visual frame of reference for conceptualizing atoms and chemical reactions. In addition, the idea that matter cannot be created nor destroyed may be unintuitive to some (one may think, “if salt is dissolved in water, then the salt goes away forever”).

What’s our approach?

Our experience provides a simple visual framework for conceptualizing chemical equations. The game revolves around playing with interactive molecule counters and checking if the amount of matter on the reactant side and products side is the same, thus reinforcing the key concept of conservation of mass. 

By playing this experience, students can expect to begin building a dynamic mental model for thinking about chemistry.