ScienceFreePrintable

Balancing Chemical Equations Worksheet

A free science worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now
Balancing Chemical Equations Worksheet worksheet preview
Name:Date:

Balancing Chemical Equations Worksheet

A chemical equation shows reactants on the left of the arrow and products on the right. To balance it, adjust only the coefficients (whole numbers placed in front of formulas) until each element has the same number of atoms on both sides. Do not change the small numbers within a formula. Use the smallest whole-number coefficients; write 1 when needed.

Core ideas

The law of conservation of matter means atoms are rearranged during a chemical reaction, not made or destroyed.

1.Why must a chemical equation have the same number of each kind of atom on both sides?
  • Atoms are conserved in a chemical reaction.
  • The products must always have more atoms.
  • Coefficients make reactions happen faster.
  • Every formula must contain the same number of atoms.

Balance the equations

Write the smallest whole-number coefficient for each formula, including 1 where needed.

2.Balance: ___ Na + ___ Cl₂ → ___ NaCl
3.Balance: ___ Ca + ___ O₂ → ___ CaO
4.Balance: ___ N₂ + ___ H₂ → ___ NH₃
5.Which equation is balanced?
  • C + O₂ → CO
  • 2C + O₂ → 2CO
  • C + 2O₂ → CO₂
  • 2C + O₂ → CO₂

More practice

Take care to count every atom in each formula, including atoms inside parentheses.

6.Balance the combustion reaction: ___ C₂H₆ + ___ O₂ → ___ CO₂ + ___ H₂O
7.Balance: ___ Fe + ___ HCl → ___ FeCl₃ + ___ H₂
8.Balance: ___ Al + ___ O₂ → ___ Al₂O₃
9.Match each chemistry term to its meaning.
  • Reactant
  • Product
  • Coefficient
  • Subscript
  • A substance formed by a reaction
  • A small number in a formula showing how many atoms are present
  • A number placed before a chemical formula
  • A starting substance in a reaction
10.For the balanced equation 2 H₂ + O₂ → 2 H₂O, count the atoms on each side. Give the number of hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms on the left and on the right.
11.In one or two sentences, explain why changing a subscript is not an acceptable way to balance a chemical equation.

2 printable pages

  • Introduction to balancing chemical equations, with an illustration of atoms rearranging while their numbers are conserved.

    Page 1

  • Practice balancing chemical equations, matching chemistry vocabulary, and checking atom counts.

    Page 2

Download now

About This Worksheet

Free in Kuraplan

Sign up free, grab the PDF, and customize it for your class.

Print-Ready

Formatted for standard paper. Clean layout, easy to read.

AI-Generated

Created with Kuraplan's AI, designed for real classroom use.

For Teachers & Parents

Use in classrooms, for homework, tutoring, or homeschool.

Need a custom version of this worksheet?

Kuraplan's AI generates custom worksheets in seconds — differentiated for every learner, aligned to your curriculum.

Generate Custom Worksheets — Free
No credit card Curriculum-aligned Under 60 seconds

More Science Worksheets

Atomic Structure Basics
5th Grade

Atomic Structure Basics

Free
Controlling Chemical Reactions
7th Grade

Controlling Chemical Reactions

Free
Periodic Table Properties Patterns
10th Grade

Periodic Table Properties Patterns

Free
Separation Techniques & Density
10th Grade–11th Grade

Separation Techniques & Density

Free
Balancing Chemical Equations

Balancing Chemical Equations

Free
Chromatography Model Exploration Worksheet

Chromatography Model Exploration Worksheet

Free
Atoms to Mixtures Exploration
9th Grade

Atoms to Mixtures Exploration

Free
Introduction to Atomic Theory
10th Grade

Introduction to Atomic Theory

Free

Explore more free resources