What is hit and trial method …

Hit and Trial Method

The simplest method to balance a chemical equation is by the hit and trial method also called the trial and error method.

The method involves the following steps:

Step 1: Write the correct formulae of the reactants and the products with plus signs in between with an arrow pointing from the reactants to the products. This is called the skeleton equation.

Step 2: Select the largest formula from the skeleton equation and equalise the number of atoms of each of its constituent elements on both sides of the chemical equation by suitable multiplications.

Or
Balance the atoms of that element which occurs at the minimum number of places on both sides of the chemical equation first. Atoms which occur at a maximum number of places are balanced last of all.

Step 3: When an elementary gas (diatomic) such as hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine or nitrogen appears as a reactant or a product, the equation is balanced more easily by keeping the elementary gas in the atomic state. The balanced atomic equation is then made molecular by multiplying the whole equation by two.

Step 4: Verify that the number of atoms of each element is balanced in the final equation.

Step 5: The chemical equation can be made more informative by mentioning the physical states of the reactants and the products. Thus, the gaseous, liquid, aqueous and solid states of the reactants and products are represented by the notations (g), (l), (aq) and (s), respectively.