Matthew Falcione

Period 5
Types of Chemical Reactions Discussion
In chemical reactions, the rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance occurs. The
rearrangement of the molecules either absorbs energy or releases energy. A reaction that releases
energy is called exothermic, while a reaction that absorbs energy and cools down is called an
endothermic. This occurs because the 1
st
Law of Thermodynamics states energy cannot be created or
destroyed only changed. Energy is transferred or transformed from one state to another. The total
amount of energy in a closed system never changes; therefore the total amount of energy in the
reactants is equal to the total amount of energy of the products.
Among the five types of chemical reactions, combination, decomposition, single-replacement, double-
replacement, and combustion, three were observed by doing various chemical experiments. Those
three were single-replacement, double-replacement, and combustion.
In the first experiment Fe was added to CUSO
4
. This reaction was an example of a single- replacement
reaction. The products were FeSO
4
and Cu. The iron, which was black, was replaced by copper, which
was orange. This color change is an occurrence during a chemical reaction. In the second experiment
Pb(NO
3
)
2
was added to KI, which resulted in PBI
2
and 2KNO
3
. This is an example of a double-replacement
reaction. When the reaction occurred a precipitate, PBI
2
, was formed. In the third reaction Mg was
added to HCl. The products were MgCl
2
and H
2
. This was an example of a single replacement reaction.
In the fourth experiment H
2
O
2
, from the Mg and HCl reaction, was introduced to heat to test if it was in
fact H
2
that had formed. This resulted in a popping noise, which is a characteristic of burning H
2
. This is
an example of a combustion reaction.
Every reaction can be characterized by their reactants and products. A combination reaction has a
single product. A decomposition reaction has a single reactant. In a single-replacement reaction, one
element displaces another element from an aqueous solution of a compound, to form a new compound
and a free element. In a double-replacement reaction, two new compounds are formed when aqueous
solutions of two ionic compounds are mixed. One of the newly formed compounds is a precipitate, a
gas, or a molecular compound. In a combustion reaction, O
2
reacts with another chemical to produce an
oxide and to generate heat and light. When O
2
reacts with a hydrocarbon, the products of the reaction
are CO
2
and H
2
O. Each one of these reactions has a limiting reactant, which is the substance that limits
the amount of product that can be formed, meaning the reaction will stop when all of the reactant is
used.
Each type of reaction has different changes in the molecules and the bonds that hold them together. In
a synthesis reaction two or more chemical compounds combine to form a more complex product. In a
decomposition reaction a compound is broken into two or more simpler molecules. A substitution or
single replacement reaction is characterized by one element being displaced from a compound by
another element. In a double displacement reaction two compounds exchange bonds or ions in order to
form different compounds. A combustion reaction is a reaction which requires a combustible material,
usually a hydrocarbon, to combine with an oxidizer to form CO
2
and H
2
0. Combustion generates heat,
which means it is an exothermic reaction. A chemical reaction is often noted by a color change,
production of a gas, or the formation of a precipitate. A precipitate is a solid that forms out of solution
because that solid is insoluble in that solution.

References
1st Law of Thermodynamics. (n.d.). Ohio State University. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from
http://chemistry.osu.edu/~woodward/ch121/ch5_law.htm
First Law of Thermodynamics. (n.d.). Hyperphysics. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/firlaw.html
Law of Conservation. (n.d.). Energy Education. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from
http://www.energyeducation.tx.gov/energy/section_1/topics/law_of_conservation/
Precipitation Reactions. (n.d.). Indiana University Northwest. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from
http://www.iun.edu/~cpanhd/C101webnotes/chemical%20reactions/precipitation.html
Stoichiometry Limiting Reactant. (n.d.). Texas A&M University. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from
http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/majors/tutorialnotefiles/limiting.htm
The Six Types of Chemical Reaction. (n.d.). Mr. Guch Brinkster. Retrieved May 9, 2014, from
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/6typesofchemicalrxn.html