This can be regarded as a very popular question among a lot of students these days. As we all know, currently technology has become a lot more advanced and because of this several types of calculators are available online which makes the life of the students much easier. The stoichiometry calculator can be regarded as one such tool. It is very helpful and provides numerous benefits to the students. Most of us might have the basic idea regarding these calculators. For those who don’t know, these calculators find the stoichiometric coefficients which are needed to balance a given chemical equation. These calculators precisely compute the amounts of the reactants and products of the reaction, both in grams and moles. Hence, it is evident that this calculator is extremely beneficial for the students. It helps them to easily deal with the stoichiometric equations.
But at the same time, the students should keep one thing in mind. These calculators can only be used when they are doing their homeworks, projects or assignments. These calculators cannot be used during examinations. Thus, it is highly recommended that the students should not develop the habit of depending on these calculators too much. In addition to that, they should also have the proper knowledge to deal with these stoichiometric equations without the help of these calculators. This will greatly help them during their examinations. Here, we will be discussing the vital aspects regarding these calculators. First of all, we will be looking at the term ‘stoichiometry’ in brief. Thereafter, we will be discussing in detail about these calculators. In addition to that, we will also discuss how to use these calculators. So, without further delay, let’s get into our discussion of this important topic.
What is Stoichiometry?
A discussion regarding the stoichiometry calculator can be considered as quite incomplete if we don’t discuss the term ‘stoichiometry’. It can be defined as an important field of chemistry which studies the relative amounts of reactants and products in the given chemical reactions. We all know that, in the case of any balanced chemical equation, whole numbers or stoichiometric coefficients are used to indicate the amounts of both the reactants and products in moles. If we know the molecular weight of the compounds which are involved in the reaction, then it becomes easy to find the mass of these compounds in grams.
Hence, it is appropriate to say that the first step in the stoichiometry calculations is balancing the chemical equations. In other words, we have to look for stoichiometric coefficients for the reactants as well as the products. This can be regarded as very important because in a chemical reaction, the quantity of each element does not change. This is also known as the law of conservation of mass. Hence, we have to ensure that each side of the equation represents the same quantity of atoms of any given chemical element. This applies to ionic reactions as well. Here, the same electric charge must be present on both sides of the equation. Thus, this can be regarded as a brief overview regarding the term, ‘stoichiometry’. Now, let’s take a look at these calculators.
What is a stoichiometry calculator?
These online calculators are very efficient and they help in finding the stoichiometric coefficients which are required to balance a given chemical equation. Thus, these calculators compute the amounts of the reactants and products of the reaction. They reveal the amounts both in moles as well as in grams. The equations may contain free electrons and electrically charged molecules or ions. The equations can include hydrated compounds too. The students should keep in mind that if the original equation was unbalanced then the field with this equation will be highlighted in light pink color. The calculator can be regarded as very advanced and it automatically calculates the reaction stoichiometry for a balanced equation. Here, the number of moles for the compounds will be the same as the stoichiometric coefficients. The students can enter either the required number of moles or weight in grams for one of the compounds and then press the ‘Enter’ key. This will help them to compute new values for the rest of the given compounds. There are several methods for balancing the chemical equations. But in the case of complex reactions which involve many compounds, it is highly recommended that the students balance these equations using the algebraic methods. This method is based on solving a set of linear equations. Most of the calculators use the Gauss-Jordan elimination algorithm for solving a set of linear equations.
How to use these calculators?
In the previous section, we have discussed in detail about the stoichiometry calculator. Here, we will be discussing how to use these calculators in detail. In order to use these calculators properly, we should have a clear idea regarding the syntax used.
- The most important guideline is that the reactants and products of the chemical reaction are separated by an equal sign. The substances present in the reaction are separated by a plus sign.
- Another essential rule that should be kept in mind is that the formula of a substance should always be entered using the upper case for the first character in the element’s name and the lower case for the second character. In addition to that, there should be no numerical coefficient before the formula.
- The students should enter the indices as normal numbers after the appropriate elements or groups.
- The use of parentheses, square brackets and braces are allowed in the formulas. Students can also use nested brackets. There is no particular limit on the degree of nesting, but all the brackets should be kept balanced.
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Conclusion
Thus, from our discussion of the topic, it can be concluded that the stoichiometry calculator is indeed very useful. Here, we have discussed in detail about the term, ‘stoichiometry’. Thereafter, we have discussed the vital aspects regarding these calculators. Lastly, we have discussed how to use these calculators. Hence, this discussion can be regarded as very useful for all the students.
