My uncle teaches science to fourth graders, and last time I visited was showing me some of the stuff they're doing, which included balancing chemical equations (I first learned this in...8th grade?). Anyway, this reminded me of my love for these puzzles, and since I'd wanted to think of a puzzle type thing for VO, I figured I might as well try to get a good challenge out of it.

Some basic rules to start with (subject to change, if you guys hate them)
1. No more than 4 compounds on the left side
2. Don't make it something where the only way to balance it involves numbers of like 50+
3. If you solve it, you get to make one
4. Put subscripts in parenthesis

So, I'll start us off with a nice simple one

C(6)H(6) + O(2) --> H(2)O + CO(2)

You can make subscripts by putting an underscore, and then whatever you want to have in subscript in curly braces: H_ { 2 } O, without spaces: H₂0. Superscripts are similar, just with the carot rather than the underscore: H^ { 2 } O, without spaces: H²O.

[2] C₆H₆ + [15] O₂ --> [6] H₂O + [12] CO₂

geez its been a long time since i've done these...

post a new one i wanna try it!

Thanks Beolach

Spell posts one now

no way.. I can barely remember how to solve them... much less remember a checmical reaction in enough detail to actually post one.

Mind if I post one for ya, Spell?

H²SO⁴ + NaCN → HCN + Na²SO⁴

H₂SO₄ + 2NaCN --> 2HCN + Na₂SO₄ ?

I might be wrong, its hard to look at it with the brackets and stuff

H₂SO₄ + [2]NaCN → [2]HCN + Na₂SO₄

I assumed you meant to use subscripts for those numbers: subscripts denote the number of atoms of the preceding element in a molecule, while superscripts denote a charge species of the atom: for example H¹⁺ is a positively charged Hydrogen Ion (usually when it's just 1 it would be written without the 1, H⁺).

Shall we try one with charge species?

Mn₄^- + H₂O₂ + H⁺ → Mn²⁺ + O₂ + H₂O

*flees in terror*

/no idea how to answer those Beo

[quote http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch19/oxred_2.html ]
Goals for Balancing Chemical Equations

1. The number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation is the same and therefore mass is conserved.

2. The sum of the positive and negative charges is the same on both sides of the equation and therefore charge is conserved. (Charge is conserved because electrons are neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.)
[/quote]

That page explains how to correctly balance it. It even gives several answers to the reaction between the permanganate ion and hydrogen peroxide (the reaction I posted), including the correct one. But you have to do the work to figure out which one is correct.

NOOOOOOOOO be gone with the charges! too complicated, and not to mention its confusing to type out! bah!

Alright, well in any case, I answered it first, so I get to make a new one :P

And also I decree NO CHARGES

But I can' think of one so we'll just do Beo's but with no charges

1) Al + CuO = Al_2O_3 + Cu
2) Fe₂(SO₄)_3 + K(SCN) ----> K_3Fe(SCN)_6 + K_2SO_4

too easy? I challenge my students to not only balance the equation but to also complete it.

3) Combustion of gasoline: C_8H_18 or methanol CH_3OH

Gah, too hard Sarah. And nice thread-kill

sorry, I really did take these from my chem class' worksheet,

how about H_2 + O_2 = H_2O?

Lol, a bit on the other side of the spectrum. And I think you need to put your subscript numbers in curly brackets.

Oh oh! I can do that one!
H₂ + O₂ = H₂O
Becomes
2H₂ + O₂ = 2H₂O

Fe₂(SO₄)₃ + 12K(SCN) --> 2K₃Fe(SCN)₆ + 3K₂SO₄

That wasn't too bad, actually. Just took me a minute or to for it to "click".

(Hint: balance the SCN first, then the K)

Hrm... Now I have to think one up, don't I?

2Al + 3CuO --> Al₂O₃ + 3Cu
2C₈H₁₈ + 9O₂ --> 8C₂ + 18H₂O
2CH₃OH + O₂ --> C₂ + 4H₂O