In a chemical equation, what is typically on the left side of the equation?

In a chemical equation, the left side primarily represents the reactants. These are the substances that undergo a chemical change or transformation during the reaction. The reactants combine in specific ways to break bonds and form new substances as the reaction progresses. The equation is essentially a representation of a process where these starting materials are converted into new compounds, known as products, which are found on the right side of the equation.

This format helps to illustrate the law of conservation of mass, indicating that the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products. Understanding this structure in chemical equations is fundamental for grasping how reactions occur and for balancing equations accurately. This knowledge lays the groundwork for more complex topics in chemistry, such as stoichiometry and reaction mechanisms.