Atoms are rearranged, not invented

By Chemistry in small pieces · myAudience

myAudience · AI-generated illustration · Original generated illustration; not documentary evidence

A balanced reaction accounts for each kind of atom before and after a chemical change. In 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, both sides contain four hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. The large coefficients change the number of molecules; the small subscripts define a substance. This is a paper example only: hydrogen and oxygen reactions are hazardous and are not an experiment to try at home.