A compact notation for describing a chemical change. The formulas of the reactants are added together on the left hand side of the equation; the formulas of the products are added together on the right side. Coefficients are inserted before the formulas to ensure that the equation is balanced . The phase in which each substance is found is usually indicated in parentheses after each formula. For example, 2 H2(g) + O2(g) = 2 H2O(g) indicates that 2 moles of hydrogen gas combine with one mole of oxygen gas to produce two moles of steam.