Using Mathematica and Maple To Obtain Chemical Equations

William R. Smith and Ronald W. Missen
University of Guelph, School of Engineering, College of Physical and Engineering Science, Guelph, ONT N1G 2W1, Canada
J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74 (11), p 1369
DOI: 10.1021/ed074p1369
Publication Date (Web): November 1, 1997
History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Mathematica and Maple, or similar software, can be readily used to obtain "balanced" chemical equations to represent the stoichiometry of a reacting system consisting of a given list of species. Writing chemical equations requires only one of the most fundamental concepts in chemistry, that of conservation of elemental species (including charge), which is the basis for the approach implemented by the software. The use of such software, which is becoming increasingly widespread, can eliminate any drudgery associated with this task. For example, for redox systems, "balancing" even a single equation may present considerable difficulty by other methods. A straightforward stepwise procedure is described for each of Mathematica and Maple, applicable to systems of any complexity. The procedures are illustrated by two examples, one for a "difficult" redox system, and the other for a multi-equation inorganic system.We discuss general features of the approach described, including its ability to determine the correct number of chemical equations in all cases. We emphasize its advantages over more conventional approaches.

Keywords (Audience):

Second-Year Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Curriculum

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Computer-Based Learning

Keywords (Subject):

Stoichiometry
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  • Received: August 03, 2009

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