Question

Which of the following statements about chemical equations is (are) true?

1. When balancing a chemical equation, you can never change the coefficient in front of anychemical formula.
2. The coefficients in a balanced chemical equation refer to the number of grams of reactantsand products.
3. In a chemical equation, the reactants are on the right and the products are on the left.
4. When balancing a chemical equation, you can never change the subscripts of any
   formula.
5. In chemical reactions, matter is neither created nor destroyed so a chemical equation must have the same number of atoms on both sides of the equation.

Short answer

The following statements about chemical equations,

1. The given statement is False
2. The given statement is False
3. The given statement is False
4. The given statement is True
5. The given statement is True

Step-by-step solution

Definition

A balanced chemical equation is one in which the number of atoms present in the reactant side of the equation equals the number of atoms present in the product side of the equation.

Determination of statements

a)

The atoms of each element in the reactant are equal to the number of atoms of the respective elements in the product when a chemical equation is balanced by adjusting the coefficients of the species in the reaction. As a result, the stated assertion is incorrect.

b)

In a balanced equation, the coefficients represent the mole ratios as well as the mole ratios of the substances between the reactants and the products. As a result, the stated assertion is incorrect.

c)

When writing a chemical equation, always write the reactants on the left and the products on the right. As a result, the stated assertion is incorrect.

Determination of statements

d)

When balancing a chemical equation, never modify the subscripts in the formulas of compounds in the reactants and products; otherwise, the formulas of the compounds will change, and the equation will be incorrect. As a result, the supplied assertion is correct.

e)

The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be generated or destroyed. As a result, the reactants and products should have the same number of atoms in the equation. It's for this reason that a chemical equation must be balanced. As a result, the supplied assertion is correct.