Descriptions of Chemical Reactions and Writing Chemical Equations

In order to write equations for chemical reactions, it is helpful to become acquainted with the law of conservation of mass and energy. Three separate scientists, over a period of 120 years, developed this concept, or 'law'.

• The law of conservation of mass was developed by Antoine Lavoisier in 1785 

• The law of conservation of energy was developed by Julius von Mayer in 1842

• The law of conservation of mass and energy that unified the laws of conservation and mass by Albert Einstein in 1905