Wednesday, December 30, 2009

MATRICES USED TO BALANCE CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

Here's the article link: http://www.shodor.org/unchem/math/matrix/index.html

When I read this article, I found it to be very useful, specially for Chemistry students interested in applying techniques of algebraic maths in their studies.
It shows how matrices can be very easy to use in order to balance even the hardest chemical reactions.
For instance, in this reaction: MgO + Fe ---> Fe2O3 + Mg (unbalanced reaction), we simply add coefficients: a, b, c and d. The new reaction: aMgO + bFe ---> cFe2O3 + dMg
For Mg: 1a + 0b +0c = 1d
For Fe: 0a + 1b - 2c = 0d
For O: 1a + 0b - 3c = 0d
We now can balance the reaction using the matrices formulas as shown in the article above.

This application was very interesting and it taught me that a matrix can be applied in almost every aspect of study in other fields such as physics, computer science, accounting and as shown here computational chemistry.
It is amazing how elementary numbers can solve so many complex issues!!

9 comments:

  1. Dear,

    Interesting to know that matrices are used to balance Chemical Equations! Nice!

    Thank you,

    Zeina

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello,
    I would like to tell you that your post is very nice. It really interested me because I love chemistry and I love everything related to it. It is really nice to know that matrices can be used to solve hard equations(new idea). Nice post

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  3. i think this post is great
    coz i rly did find difficulties 2 balance chemical equations!! i think now i can balance them very easily.
    nice 1

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  4. hello,
    At school they taught us how to balance chemical equations without knowing that it's related to matrices , well this post is good it helped me to link some ideas concerning chemistry that i do still remember from school.
    Elie Karam

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  5. nice that matrices can help in equilibrating chemical reactions in this simple way
    nice topic anthony

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  6. hi miss it is anthony bou absy 20060760

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey,
    This post is very intriguing and by researching the subject, it has also come to my attention that using matrices is foolproof way of balancing equations!

    If the determinant = 0, both the mathematical and the chemical equation can not be solved
    It's possible to only have an solution to the mathematical equation but no solution to the chemical equation, for example
    CH2O5 + O2 -> CO2 H2O
    is a chemical equation that can not be balanced
    but algebraical solution exist
    4CH2O5 - 4O2 -> 4CO2+4H2O
    Also, chemical reactions are classified as not feasible, uniquely-feasible (unique within relative proportions) and non-uniquely feasible, according to whether the nullity of the reaction matrix is zero, one, or more, respectively.

    Balancing is a fundamental skill in chemistry, and although many have believed that the only method was trial and error, we now have a much more accurate mean!

    For more info: http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/3/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=656
    Jessica Moussa(LAU)

    ReplyDelete