What is the first step in calculating the mass of a product formed in a chemical reaction?

The first step in calculating the mass of a product formed in a chemical reaction is writing out the balanced equation. A balanced equation ensures that the law of conservation of mass is upheld and reflects the stoichiometric relationships between the reactants and products. This step is essential because it provides the necessary mole ratios needed to relate the amounts of reactants used to the amounts of products formed.

Once the balanced equation is established, one can identify which reactants are involved, how many moles of each reactant are required to produce a certain amount of product, and ultimately calculate the mass of the product through further steps. Without a balanced equation, it would be impossible to accurately determine how much product can be produced from a given amount of reactant, as the proportionate relationships would not be clear.