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are balanced with respect to mass and charge. For every reactant particle, there is a corresponding product particle. And for every reactant charge, there must be a corresponding product charge. When you come to study $"redox reactions"$ we introduce the electron as a conceptual particle with a negative charge so that can also be shown to conserve charge:

$"Reduction:"$

$O_2(g) + 4e^(-) rarr 2O^(2-)$ $(i)$

$"Oxidation:"$

$Fe(s) rarr Fe^(2+) +2e^(-)$ $(ii)$

And we cross multiply these individual redox reactions so that the electrons do not appear in the final redox equation:

$(i) + +2xx(ii)$ gives.................

$2Fe(s) +O_2+cancel(4e^(-)) rarr 2FeO +cancel(4e^(-))$

$2Fe(s) +O_2 rarr 2FeO $

Charge is balanced, and mass is balanced. As is ABSOLUTELY required.

In the given example, we could write the net ionic equation, i.e.

$H_3O^(+) + HO^(-) rarr 2H_2O$

Are mass and charge conserved here?

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