00:01
So what is the difference between a coefficient and a subscript? this is a really important distinction.
00:06
So let's start with the subscript.
00:09
The number of the subscript in a chemical formula, so i wrote methane out right now, the subscript is specific to the compound you're talking about.
00:22
So methane is always one carbon to four hydrogens.
00:28
If we change the subscript, we're changing the chemical composition of the compound.
00:35
So if i were to make this ch3, i would have to break a carbon hydrogen bond, which is a chemical change.
00:45
Breaking bonds is a result of a chemical change.
00:48
First of all, this isn't even stable, right? because carbon, this equation isn't balanced in terms of electron configuration for carbon.
00:58
So changing from ch4 to ch3 by adjusting a subscript in a chemical formula is not okay.
01:05
You're actually changing the chemical composition.
01:07
You're changing the chemical you're working with by doing that.
01:10
So we're not going to do that.
01:13
Coefficient are different because coefficients help us to explain the ratio of certain compounds in a chemical formula to other chemicals in that same chemical reaction.
01:26
So i'm thinking about the combustion reaction, let's say, of methane to form co2 and water.
01:33
The reason why when we're balancing equations, we just adjust the coefficients is because that multiplies all of the atoms in the chemical compounds by the number in the coefficient.
01:47
So if i wanted to balance this equation, what i would do is i would say, okay, so i need the mass balance in this chemical.
01:57
Equation, right? i need all of the atoms on the left to go and make something to add up to all of the atoms we have on the right side of the equation.
02:07
So if i were to start counting my atoms, we're going to have one carbon on both sides.
02:12
That's fine.
02:13
We have four hydrogens on the left...