CHEMICAL REACTION AND EQUATIONS

The idea of reaction In chemistry, a reaction happens when two or more elements interact and something happens. There are few points you should know about chemical reaction.  A chemical change must occur. You can start with one compound and turns it into another. Example: a steel garbage can rusting is a chemical reaction. That rusting happens because the iron (Fe) in the metal combines with oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere.  A reaction could include ions, molecules, or pure atoms. A reaction can happen with any of these as long as a chemical change occurs (not a physical one).

WRITING CHEMICAL EQUATIONS  A chemical reaction is written in the form of an equation as given below; Reactants
(What are reacting?) Example

Products
(What will be formed?)

Where A and B reacting to form C.

 A chemical reaction can be written as a word equation or using the chemical symbols. Example; Sodium + water hydrogen + sodium hydroxide Na + H2O H2 + NaOH  The number of atoms of the elements should be equal on both sides of the equation. This procedure is referred to as balancing a chemical equation. Example; Calcium + water hydrogen + Calcium hydroxide Ca + H2O H2 + Ca(OH)2

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IS / Dept. Physical Science /Hand out /Chemistry @ 2010/ Grade9

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 The state symbols are usually included in a chemical equation. Example; Sodium + water hydrogen + sodium hydroxide Na(s) + H2O(l) H2 (g) + NaOH (aq)  Transition metals usually contain more than one oxidation state. If such anion is concerned while naming a compound the oxidation state is written within brackets as follows. Example; Copper(II)sulfate + calcium copper + calcium sulfate CuSO4(aq) + Ca(s) Cu(s) + CaSO4(aq)

MORE ABOUT BALANCING When you have a chemical equation; 1. Draw boxes around all the chemical formulas; this is not necessary but just to remind you that you are not going to change anything in the formula. 2. Make an element inventory; to figure out how many atoms of each element you have on the left ( reactants) and right (products) sides of the equation thus, your element invev

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IS / Dept. Physical Science /Hand out /Chemistry @ 2010/ Grade9

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