Balanced equations are really useful for understanding what happens in chemical reactions. Here’s a simple breakdown:

1. Reactants: These are the substances you start with. You’ll find them on the left side of the equation.

2. Products: These are what you end up with after the reaction. They are located on the right side.

3. Balancing: This means making sure the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides. It follows the rule that matter cannot be created or destroyed, called the law of conservation of mass.

For example, if you see an equation like $A + B \rightarrow C$, it means that $A$ and $B$ are the reactants and $C$ is the product!