Chemical Equations &

Reactions

http://www.unit5.org/chemistry/Equations.html

Organize Your Thoughts

Chemical
reactions
Chemical
equations

Balancing equations
Predicting products
from reactants

Packard, Jacobs, Marshall, Chemistry Pearson AGS Globe, page 175

Chemical
equations

Synthesis
Decomposition
Single replacement
Double replacement
Combustion

Describing a Chemical Reaction

Indications of a Chemical Reaction
Evolution of heat, light, and/or sound
Production of a gas
Formation of a precipitate
Color change

Signs of Chemical Reactions

There are five main signs that indicate a chemical reaction has taken place:

release
input

change in color

change in odor

production of new
gases or vapor

input or release
of energy

difficult to reverse

Chemical Equations
aluminum oxide

Depict the kind of reactants and product

products
and their relative amounts in a reaction.
4 Al(s) + 3 O2(g)

2 Al2O3(s)

The letters (s), (g), and (l) are the

physical states of compounds.
The numbers in the front are called
stoichiometric coefficients.
coefficients

Chemical Equations
4 Al(s) + 3 O2(g)

2 Al2O3(s)

aluminum oxide
sandpaper

4 g Al + 3 g O2 yield 2 g Al2O3
This equation means:
4 Al atoms + 3 O2 molecules yield 2 molecules of Al2O3
or
4 Al moles + 3 O2 moles yield 2 moles of Al2O3
4 mol Al@27g/mol
3 mol O2@32g/mol
108 g
+
96 g

2 mol Al2O3@102g/mol
=

204 g

Chemical Equations
Because the same atoms are present
in a reaction at the beginning (reactants)
and at the end (products), the amount
of matter in a system does not change.
The Law of Conservation of Matter
100%

Kotz web

Chemical
Factory

100%

20%
80%

Chemical Equations
Because of the principle of the conservation of matter,
matter

An equation must be balanced.

balanced
It must have the same number of atoms
of the same kind on both sides.

Lavoisier, 1788

Characteristics of Chemical Equations

The equation must represent known

facts.
The equation must contain the correct
formulas for the reactants and products.
The law of conservation of mass must
be satisfied.

Chemical Equations
Reactants the substances that exist before a
chemical change (or reaction) takes place.

Products the new substance(s) that are formed

during the chemical changes.
CHEMICAL EQUATION indicates the reactants and
products of a reaction.

REACTANTS PRODUCTS

Word Equations
A WORD EQUATION describes chemical change using
the names of the reactants and products.
Write the word equation for the reaction of methane gas
with oxygen gas to form carbon dioxide and water.
methane

oxygen

Reactant
CH4

2 O2

carbon dioxide

water

Product
CO2

2 H2O

Unbalanced and Balanced Equations

H

Cl
Cl
H
H

H
H

Cl

H2 + Cl2 HCl (unbalanced)

reactants

H
Cl

2
2

Cl

Cl

Cl

H2 + Cl2 2 HCl (balanced)

reactants

products

1
1

Cl

H
Cl

2
2

products

2
2

Visualizing a Chemical Reaction

2 Na

10 mole Na
___

Cl 2

5 mole Cl2
___

2 NaCl

10
? mole NaCl
___

Visualizing a Chemical Reaction

2 Na

Cl 2

2 NaCl

Meaning of Chemical Formula

Chemical
Symbol

Meaning

Composition

H2O

One molecule
of water:

Two H atoms and one O atom

2 H 2O

Two molecules
of water:

Four H atoms and two O atoms

H2O2

One molecule
of hydrogen
peroxide:

Two H atoms and two O atoms

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balanced Equation one in which the number of
atoms of each element as a reactant is equal to the
number of atoms of that element as a product

What is the relationship between conservation of mass and

the fact that a balanced equation will always have the same
number of atoms of each element on both sides of an equation?

Determine whether the following equation is balanced.

2 Na + H2O 2 NaOH + H2
2 Na + 2 H2O 2 NaOH + H2

Balancing Chemical Equations

Write a word equation for the reaction.
Write the correct formulas for all reactants
and products.
Determine the coefficients that make the
equation balance.

Balancing Chemical Equations

Other examples
NO(g) + O2(g) NO2(g) is it balanced?
Is this balanced? NO(g) + O(g) NO2(g)
Is this OK?
Is this balanced? NO(g) + O2(g) NO2(g)
Is this OK?

Balancing Chemical Equations

An important point to remember
2 NO(g) + O2(g) 2NO2(g)
The 2 to the left of NO(g) and NO2(g) refers to the number
of molecules present in the balanced equation.
It is a multiplier for every atom in the molecule.
The subscript 2 in O2 (g) and NO2(g) refers to the number
of atoms of this type that are present in each molecules
(or ionic compound).

Guidelines for Balancing Chemical Equations

?

1) polyatomic ions first

2) even / odd (make all even)
3) 2 H-OH vs. H2O

Mg(OH)2

4) single elements last

Example: need 13 oxygen atoms

Multiply by 13 O2 = 13
2

3X + 13
2 O2

2 3X +
6X +

2Y

+ Z

O2

2Y

+ Z

13 O2

4Y

+ 2Z

13
2

2 (NH4)3PO4 + 3Mg(OH)2 Mg3(PO4)2

ammonium phosphate

magnesium hydroxide

6 NH?
4OH

ammonium hydroxide

magnesium phosphate

NH41+

Now you try

2 AlCl3

3 Li2CO3

Al2(CO3)3

6LiCl

OH1-

Write a balanced equation for the reaction between chlorine

and sodium bromide to produce bromine and sodium chloride.

1) Write a word equation for the reaction.

chlorine + sodium bromide bromine + sodium chloride
2) Write the correct formulas for all reactants and products.
Cl2

NaBr

Br2

NaCl

3) Determine the coefficients that make the equation balance.

Cl2

2 NaBr

Br2

2 NaCl

Write the balanced equation for the reaction between

aluminum sulfate and calcium chloride to form a white
precipitate of calcium sulfate.
1) Write a word equation for the reaction.

aluminum sulfate + calcium chloride calcium sulfate + aluminum chloride

2) Write the correct formulas for all reactants and products.

Al2(SO4)3

CaCl2

CaSO4

AlCl3

3) Determine the coefficients that make the equation balance.

Al2(SO4)3

3 CaCl2

3 CaSO4

2 AlCl3

CH4 + 2 O2 CO2 + 2 H2O

Reactants
1 C atom
4 H atoms
4 O atoms

Products
1 C atom
4 H atoms
4 O atoms

Reactants Products
+
C(s)

carbon

O2(g)

CO2(g)

oxygen

carbon dioxide

Reactants
1 carbon atom
2 oxygen atoms

Product
1 carbon atom
2 oxygen atoms
catalyst speeds up reaction

+
2 H2(g)

hydrogen

Pt

O2(g)

Pt

oxygen

Reactants
2 hydrogen atoms
4
2 oxygen atoms

2 H2O (l)
water
Product
2 hydrogen atoms
4
1 oxygen atoms
2

Unbalanced

Showing Phases in
Chemical Equations
H2O(s)

H2O(l)

H2O(g)

Solid Phase the substance is relatively rigid and has a

definite volume and shape. NaCl(s)

Liquid Phase the substance has a definite volume, but is

able to change shape by flowing. H2O(l)

Gaseous Phase the substance has no definite volume or

shape, and it shows little response to gravity. Cl2(g)

Additional Symbols Used in Chemical Equations

Yields; indicates result of reaction
Used to indicate a reversible reaction

(s)

A reactant or product in the solid state;

also used to indicate a precipitate
Alternative to (s), but used only to indicate a precipitate
A reactant or product in the liquid state

(l)

A reactant or product in an aqueous solution

(dissolved in water)
A reactant or product in the gaseous state

(aq)
(g)

Additional Symbols Used in Chemical Equations

Alternative to (g), but used only to indicate a gaseous product

2 atm
pressure

0 oC
MnO2

Reactants are heated

Pressure at which reaction is carried out, in this case 2 atm
Pressure at which reaction is carried out exceeds normal
atmospheric pressure
Temperature at which reaction is carried out, in this case 0 oC
Formula of catalyst, in this case manganese (IV) oxide,
used to alter the rate of the reaction