What is the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions based on their mole ratios known as?

The calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions based on their mole ratios is known as stoichiometry. This concept involves using balanced chemical equations to quantitatively analyze the relationships between the amounts of reactants and products. By applying stoichiometric principles, one can determine how many moles of one substance are needed to react with a given number of moles of another substance, or how many moles of products will be formed from the reactants.

Stoichiometry is essential for making accurate calculations in chemical reactions, whether in laboratory settings or industrial applications. It is grounded in the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter can neither be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. Therefore, understanding mole ratios allows chemists to predict outcomes and optimize reactions effectively.

In contrast, thermodynamics deals with energy changes and the direction of chemical processes, kinetics focuses on the rates of reactions, and equilibrium studies the state when the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal. While all these concepts are important in chemistry, stoichiometry specifically pertains to calculations involving reactants and products based on their mole ratios.