The basic principle in balancing a chemical equation is to .
A. have the same number of molecules of each substance in the reactants and in the products
B. have the sum of coefficients in reactants equal to that in the products
C. have the same number of atoms of each element in the reactants and in the products
D. have the same number of reactants as products

The basic principle in balancing a chemical equation is to have the same number of atoms of each element in the reactants and in the products

Balancing a chemical equation requires the basic knowledge of the law of conservation of matter which states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction but can be transferred from one form to another.

From the above statement, we understood that

From the above information, we can conclude that the correct answer to the question is:

Option C. have the same number of atoms of each element in the reactants and in the products

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C. have the same number of atoms of each element in the reactants and in the products

Explanation:

A balanced equation is an equation for a chemical reaction in which the number of atoms for each element in the reaction and the total charge is the same for both the reactants and the products.