Chemical balancing is the process of ensuring that a chemical equation accurately represents the conservation of mass. In a balanced equation, the number of atoms of each element is the same on both the reactant and product sides. This is crucial because it reflects that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. To balance a chemical equation, coefficients are adjusted in front of the chemical formulas. For example, in the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to form water, the unbalanced equation is H₂ + O₂ → H₂O. By adjusting the coefficients, the balanced equation becomes 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, ensuring that there are four hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms on both sides.