Why do you have a certain number of reactants on the left side? Use the example below to support your answer.

Question

reactants = 5 slices of bread, 2 pieces of ham and 2 pieces of chesses

product = 2 sandwiches

leftovers = one slice of bread

Answer 1

The number of reactants on the left side of the equation is based on the stoichiometry of the reaction, which determines the ratio in which the reactants combine to form the products. In this example, the stoichiometry of making a sandwich is 1 slice of bread, 1 piece of ham, and 1 piece of cheese per sandwich. Therefore, in order to make 2 sandwiches, you would need 2 slices of bread, 2 pieces of ham, and 2 pieces of cheese. This is why there are 5 slices of bread, 2 pieces of ham, and 2 pieces of cheese on the left side of the equation.