THE INTERACTIVE LAB / 02
The Balancing Act.
Pick a challenge. Create an equation. Find your balance.
YOUR INGREDIENTS. YOUR EQUATION.
What will you balance?
Choose substances for both sides, then take your equation to the balance.
The substance shelf
80 substancesChoose a substance to add it to the reactants.
Reactants 0 / 4
Products 0 / 4
Add at least one reactant and one product.
Already have an equation? Paste it here.
Use formulas from the shelf and an arrow (→ or ->). Set the coefficients on the balance.
You choose the products too. This tool checks atom conservation; it does not predict reactions. Molecule filters describe the substances, while the counters show formula composition.
FOUNDATIONS / PUZZLE 01 OF 10
Just add hydrogen
Change the big numbers. Keep the small numbers fixed.
Reactants what you start with
Products what you make
The side with more oxygen atoms tips down.
Change the amountThe coefficient multiplies the whole formula.
Follow each elementA level balance checks your selected element.
Find the simplest ratioMatch every element, then check your answer.
What the models show
The coloured counters show the atoms represented by one chemical formula. They show composition, not bonds, molecular shapes or atomic size. Ionic compounds form lattices; a formula group is a counting unit, not a separate molecule.
The coefficient multiplies that entire group. Small bars under a formula show up to twelve copies; the coefficient always gives the full number of groups. The scale compares the number of atoms of your selected element; it does not measure mass. Every element must match for the equation to balance.
These puzzles focus on coefficients. State symbols and most reaction conditions are omitted. A balanced equation accounts for atoms; it does not by itself show whether, or how quickly, a reaction occurs. The double arrow in the ammonia puzzle indicates a reversible reaction.
In the workshop, choose up to four substances on each side from the shelf. The tool finds an exact whole-number ratio when the selected formulas determine one. It flags missing elements, impossible balances and equations needing more information. Challenge progress and your workshop draft are saved separately on this device.
Further reading: Writing and balancing chemical equations, OpenStax.