When balancing a chemical equation you may alter the coefficients but not the subscripts in the equation.

Question

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When balancing a chemical equation, you have to balance the reactants and products by adding coefficients to the individual molecules. However, you cannot change the subscripts in the chemical formula, as they represent the number and type of atoms in the substance, which is a fixed ratio in a compound.

When Balancing a Chemical Equation You May Alter the Coefficients