What Is This Module About?

Have you ever tried leaving a shiny piece of nail outside your house for two to three
days? What happened to the nail? Notice that after about three days, the nail would no
longer be shiny and there would be a brownish red deposit on its surface. This red deposit,
called rust, that forms on the nail is actually a new substance—iron oxide. The formation of
rust illustrates a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction is characterized by the formation of
one or more new substances.

The rusting of iron is just one of the many chemical reactions that occur in nature. In
this module, you will learn how a chemical reaction can be represented by a chemical
equation. The different types of chemical reactions and their characteristics are explained
in this module. You will also learn how to balance chemical equations and identify the types
of chemical reactions involved in some common chemical processes.

There are three lessons in this module. These are:

Lesson 1 – Representing Chemical Reactions With Chemical Equations

Lesson 2 – Balancing Chemical Equations

Lesson 3 – Types of Chemical Reactions

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦ represent chemical reactions with chemical equations;

♦ balance chemical equations;

♦ identify and describe the different types of chemical reactions; and

♦ give examples of the different types of chemical reactions.

Wait!
Before you read this module, make sure that you have already read the modules
entitled Periodicity of the Elements and Chemical Bonds: Forces That Link.

1
 Let’s See What You Already Know

Before you start studying this module, take the following test first to find out how
much you already know the topics to be dicussed.

A. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Hydrogen reacts with bromine to form hydrogen bromide. This chemical

reaction is represented by the chemical equation:

a. H2 + Br HBr

b. H2 + Br2 HBr

c. H + Br HBr

d. H2 + Br2 2HBr

2. The chemical equation 2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

is read as:

a. Sodium reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide and liquid

hydrogen.

b. Sodium reacts with water to form sodium oxide and hydrogen gas.

c. Sodium reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide and hydrogen

gas.

d. Sodium reacts with water, forming sodium hydroxide and nitrogen

gas.

3. Which of the following equations correctly illustrates the reaction between

sulfur dioxide and oxygen gas forming sulfur trioxide?

a. 2SO2 + O2 2SO3

b. SO2 + O2 SO3

c. SO2 + O2 2SO3

d. 2SO2 + 2O2 2SO3

2
4. When the chemical equation Al + MnO2 Mn + Al2O3 is
balanced, the coefficient of Al is __________.

a. 2

b. 3

c. 4

d. 5

5. Balancing the chemical equation KI + Br2 KBr + I2 will result

in KBr having a coefficient _________.

a. greater than the coefficient of KI

b. equal to the coefficient of KI

c. less than the coefficient of KI

d. equal to the coefficient of Br2

6. The decomposition of copper nitrate is represented by the chemical equation

Cu(NO3)2 CuO + NO2 + O2. Which of the following
correctly illustrates the balanced equation of the reaction?

a. 2Cu(NO3)2 2CuO + NO2 + O2

b. 2Cu(NO3)2 2CuO + 2NO2 + O2

c. 2Cu(NO3)2 2CuO + NO2 + 3O2

d. 2Cu(NO3)2 2CuO + 2NO2 + 3O2

7. Which of the following chemical equations illustrates a single replacement

reaction?

a. 2H2 + O2 2H2O

b. CrCl3 + 3AgNO3 Cr(NO3)3 + 3AgCl

c. 2H2O2 2H2O + O2

d. 2KI + Br2 2KBr + I2

3
 8. All of the following equations represent a combination reaction except:
a. 2MnO2 + CO Mn2O3 + CO2
b. N2 + 3H2 2NH3
c. H2 + I2 2HI
d. 2PbO + O2 2PbO2
9. Which is not a double displacement reaction?
a. NaCl + KNO3 NaNO3 + KCl
b. 2HCl + Na2CO3 2NaCl + H2CO3
c. 3Fe + 4H2O 4H2 + Fe3O4
d. H2SO4 + NaCl NaHSO4 + HCl
10. When iron metal (Fe) rusts, a chemical reaction occurs represented by the
equation 4Fe + 3O2 2Fe2O3. This reaction is classified as
________.
a. combination
b. decomposition
c. single replacement
d. double displacement
B. Balance each of the following equations and identify what type of chemical
reaction it is.

_______ 1. Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + NaOH (aq) NaNO3 (aq) +

Ca(OH)2 (aq)

_______ 2. Na2CO3(s) + H3PO4 (aq) Na3PO4 (s) + H2O (l)

+ CO2

_______ 3. Mg(s) + H2SO4 (aq) MgSO4 (aq) + H2

_______ 4. H2O2 (aq) or H2O (l) + O2

light
_______ 5. Al(s) + Br2 AlBr3 (s)

4
 Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those in
the Answer Key on page 30 to find out.
If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know much
about the topics in this module. You may still study the module to review what you already
know. Who knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is for you. It will
help you understand some important concepts that you can apply in your daily life. If you
study this module carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in the test and a lot
more! Are you ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

5
 LESSON 1

Representing Chemical Reactions

With Chemical Equations

You learned from the module Periodicity of the Elements that chemical symbols are
used to represent elements. The use of chemical symbols provides a shorthand method of
representing the elements. In a similar manner, compounds are more conveniently
represented by groups of chemical symbols referred to as chemical formulas.

When elements react with other elements or compounds to form new substances, a
process known as a chemical reaction occurs. A chemical reaction is a type of change
that involves one or more substances, resulting in the formation of one or more new
substances. Say, when sugar is heated, we observe the formation of moisture and a black
residue. The substances formed after heating are no longer the same as the substance
heated. The change that occurs in this case is a chemical change, since new substances are
formed. A chemical reaction like this is conveniently represented by what we call a
chemical equation.

In this lesson, you will understand what a chemical reaction is. You will learn how to
represent chemical reactions using chemical equations. You will discover that a chemical
equation tells a lot about a certain chemical change.

Let’s Think About This

A certain chemical reaction is described as 2HgO (s) 2Hg (l) + O2
.

1. Read the given chemical equation.

2. Identify the reactant(s) and the product(s).

3. What does the symbol mean?

4. What does the symbol
mean?

5. What does mean?

Let’s see if you were able to answer the questions correctly. The given chemical
equation is read as: When mercury oxide is heated, it decomposes to form mercury and
oxygen gas. Now, how did I know that mercury oxide was heated to form the products?
You see, the symbol placed over an arrow indicates that heat is supplied to the reaction.

6
 The substances to the left of the arrow are referred to as the reactants. In this case,
the reactant is mercury oxide, HgO. The substances to the right of the arrow are called the
products. In the reaction above, the products are mercury, Hg, and oxygen, O2.

The symbol is used to separate the reactants from the products. It also
indicates the direction in which the reaction occurs. In the chemical equation given above,
the reaction proceeds toward the formation of Hg and O2. The
symbol indicates that the
substance is a gas.

Let’s Learn

A chemical reaction is a process that causes a change in one or more substances,

resulting in the formation of one or more new substances. The substances present before
the start of the reaction are called the reactants while the substances formed after the
reaction are referred to as the products. The reactants and the products are separated
from each other by an arrow ( ). The arrow also indicates the direction of the
reaction.

Consider the chemical reaction that occurs when sugar, C12H22O11, is heated to form
carbon, C, and water, H2O. The reactant in this case is the sugar while the products formed
are carbon and water. When we want to refer to this reaction again, we do not have to
repeat the entire sentence describing the reaction. We can use symbols instead for the
substances taking part in the reaction. We do this by writing a chemical equation. A
chemical equation is a chemist’s shorthand for describing the course of a chemical
reaction.

We can then represent the reaction with the chemical equation:

C12H22O11 12C + 11H2O

Notice that in the chemical equation above, the reactant is C12H22O11, while the
products are C and H2O. Aside from showing what the reactants and products are, the
equation also illustrates the relative proportions of the reactants and the products. The
equation above shows that 1 molecule of sugar is heated to produce 12 atoms of carbon
and 11 molecules of water.

The equation above is said to be balanced because the number of atoms of each
element on the left side of the arrow is equal to that on the right side of the arrow.

At this point do not worry yet about balancing a chemical equation. You will be taught
how to do that in the next lesson. What you should be able to do now is write chemical
equations to represent chemical reactions.

7
 These are also symbols used to represent the physical states of the reactants and
products in a chemical reaction. These include:
1. (s) for solid substance or precipitate, such as C12H22O11 (s)
2.
for gas, such as H2

3. (l) for liquid, such as H2O (l)
4. (aq) for a substance in water solution, such as H2SO4 (aq)
To represent heat, write the symbol over or under the arrow. The symbols of
catalysts (substances that speed up a chemical reaction) are also written over the arrow.
For example, manganese oxide is used to catalyze (speed up) the decomposition of
potassium chlorate to potassium chloride and oxygen gas. The equation for this reaction is:
MnO2
KClO3 (s) KCl (s) + O2

Let’s Try This

Let’s see if you now understand what a chemical equation is. Try to write a chemical
equation for the following chemical reaction:
When iron powder and sulfur powder are heated together, iron combines with sulfur
to form the compound iron (II) sulfide.
Were you able to write a chemical equation for the reaction? Does your equation look
like this?

Fe(s) + S(s) FeS(s)

Let’s Learn

How do you write a chemical equation? First of all, you need to know the chemical
symbols of elements and the formulas of different compounds. It is best to have a copy of
the periodic table on hand when you write chemical equations. You may refer to the
periodic table in the Appendix on page 34.
Let us now enumerate the rules in writing chemical equations.
Consider the following chemical reaction:
Zinc reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas and zinc chloride.
1. First write the word equation for the reaction. The word equation is very
important. In writing this, you have to determine which are the reactants and
which are the products in the reaction.
zinc and hydrochloric acid hydrogen gas and zinc chloride
8
 2. Next, replace the name of each substance with its chemical symbol or formula.

Zn + HCl H2 + ZnCl2

3. You now have a skeleton chemical equation. We call this a skeleton chemical
equation because it is not yet balanced.

Notice that the word “and” in the word equation is replaced by the symbol +.

4. Remember to indicate correctly the direction of the reaction with an arrow.

5. Add symbols that indicate the physical states of the reactants and products in the
reaction. Since only the state of hydrogen is given in the problem, then you can
put the appropriate symbol beside the chemical symbol of hydrogen. Can you
recall what symbol is used to represent a gas?

6. If heat is supplied to the reaction, place the symbol over the arrow.
Thus , the skeleton chemical equation is:
Zn + HCl ZnCl2 + H2

Well, the rules are really easy to remember, right? I’m sure you are now able to write
skeleton chemical equations. Why don’t you try to answer the following exercise?

Let’s Review

Write skeleton equations based on the following word equations:

1. potassium chlorate heat potassium chloride and oxygen

2. aluminum hydroxide and sulfuric acid aluminum sulfate and

water

3. silver nitrate and hydrogen sulfide silver sulfide and nitric

acid

4. aluminum and oxygen aluminum oxide

5. hydrogen and chlorine hydrogen chloride

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 31.

9
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Write a chemical equation for each of the following reactions. Write the word equation
on the first line below the reaction and the chemical equation, on the second.
1. Sodium bromide and chlorine react to form sodium chloride and bromine.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
2. Magnesium reacts with hydrogen bromide to form magnesium bromide and
hydrogen gas.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
3. Barium hydroxide and hydrogen iodide react to produce barium iodide and
water.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
4. Sodium hydroxide decomposes to form sodium oxide and water.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
5. Silver nitrate and hydrochloric acid react, forming a silver chloride precipitate
and sodium nitrate.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 31. Did you get a
perfect score? If you did, that’s very good! You now know how to write chemical
equations. If you did not get everything right, that’s okay. Just review this lesson before you
proceed to Lesson 2.

Let’s Remember

♦ A chemical reaction is a process that causes a change in one or more

substances, resulting in the formation of one or more new substances.
♦ A chemical reaction can be conveniently represented by a chemical equation.
♦ A chemical equation shows the reactants and the products of a chemical
reaction.
♦ The reactants are the materials before the start of the reaction; the products are
the new substances formed as a result of the reaction.
10
 LESSON 2

Balancing
Chemical Equations
You learned how to write skeleton chemical equations in Lesson 1. However, you
cannot consider a chemical equation correct unless it is balanced. When there is the same
number of each type of atom in the reactant and in the product, then you can say that the
equation is balanced.

A balanced chemical equation is very useful. A lot of information can be derived from
a balanced equation. It can tell you how much of a substance is needed to produce
another substance or how much of one substance is produced from another substance.

In this lesson, you will learn how to balance chemical equations.

Let’s Think About This

Consider the diagrams below.

A B

Which of the diagrams shows a state of balance? Why are the bags in this diagram
balanced? What can you do to the bags in the other diagram so that they too will be
balanced?
Is your answer the same as this?
Diagram A shows a state of balance because the number of bags on one side is equal
to the number of bags on the other side. You can balance the bags in Diagram B by dividing
the bags in such a way that there will be an equal number of bags on each side of the
seesaw.

11
 Let’s Learn

Similarly, you can say that a chemical equation is balanced if the numbers of atoms on
both sides (reactant side and product side) of the equation are the same.

To understand the concept of a balanced chemical equation further, let us consider the
chemical reaction involved in the burning of paper. When paper burns, the carbon in the
paper reacts with oxygen in the air, forming carbon dioxide. The chemical equation for this
is:
C + O2 CO2

Is the equation balanced? How will you know if it is balanced? To know if the
equation is balanced, identify first the elements present on the reactant side and product
side. Remember, whatever element can be found on the left side should also be found on
the right side.

C + O2 CO2

Reactant Side Product Side

C C
O O
The next thing to do is to get the number of atoms of the elements. To get the number
of atoms of each element, just multiply the coefficient by the subscript.

If you can recall, the coefficient is the number before the chemical symbol or formula
in an equation. If there is no number written before the symbol or formula, the coefficient is
understood to be 1. The subscript is the number below the symbol of the element.

CO 2
subscript
coefficient

C + O2 CO2
Reactant side Product side

12
 Reactant Side Product Side

C 1 × 1=1 C 1 × 1=1

O 1 × 2=2 O 1 × 2=2

Since the coefficient of C is 1 and its subscript is also 1, when you multiply them the
answer is 1. Therefore, the number of carbon atoms on both sides of the equation is just 1.
Do the same thing to get the number of oxygen atoms.

If you compare now the number of atoms on both sides of the equation, you will see
that they are equal. This means that the equation is already balanced!

Let’s Study and Analyze

State whether the following equations are balanced or not.

1. CH4 + O2 H2O + CO2

2. H2O2 H2O + O2

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 32.

Let’s Learn

What if you encounter an unbalanced chemical equation? How will you balance it?
Let us consider the burning of carbon (C) in a limited amount of oxygen (O2). Instead of
carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) is produced. The chemical equation for the
reaction is:

C + O2 CO

Is the equation balanced? No, it is not. Why is it not balanced? Because the number
of oxygen atoms on the reactant side and that on the product side are not the same. There
are 2 oxygen atoms on the reactant side and only 1 on the product side.
13
 Reactant Side Product Side

C 1 × 1=1 C 1 × 1=1

O 1 × 2=2 O 1 × 1=1

So how are you going to balance the equation?

The equation can be balanced by changing the coefficients of the reactant(s) and/or
product(s). This is a trial-and-error method, meaning if the coefficient you first placed does
not balance the equation, this has to be changed until a balanced equation is obtained.
Remember, you can manipulate only the coefficients in an equation. You cannot change the
subscripts in the equation.

Let’s go back to the example. What should be the coefficient of CO to make the
number of oxygen atoms on the product side equal to 2? Did you say 2? If you did, that’s
very good! Let us check.

C + O2 2CO

Reactant Side Product Side

C 1 × 1=1 C 2 × 1=2

O 1 × 2=2 O 1 × 2=2

If you place 2 as the coefficient of CO, the number of oxygen atoms will be 2 but
then there will be a problem. The number of carbon atoms on the product side will not be
equal to the number of carbon atoms on the reactant side anymore. What are you going to
do?

You could place 2 as the coefficient of carbon C. Let us see what will happen:

2C + O2 2CO

Reactant Side Product Side

C 2 × 1=2 C 2 × 1=24

O 1 × 2=2 O 2 × 1=24

Did you see what happened? The number of carbon atoms on the reactant side is
now equal to that on the product side. The equation is now balanced.

14
 Let us have one more example.
Consider the reaction that occurs when iron rusts. Iron combines with oxygen in the
air to form iron (III) oxide, the chemical name of rust. The equation for this reaction is:
Fe + O2 Fe2O3
Is the equation balanced? Let us check the number of atoms on both sides of the
equation.
Fe + O2 Fe2O3

Reactant Side Product Side

Fe 1 × 1 = 1 Fe 1 × 2 = 2

O 1 × 2=2 O 1 × 3=3

As you can see in the table above, the equation is not balanced. Let us try changing
the coefficients to balance the equation. Let us start with iron.
If you place 2 as the coefficient of Fe, will it balance the equation? Let’s see.
2Fe + O2 Fe2O3

Reactant Side Product Side

Fe 2 × 1 = 2 Fe 1 × 2 = 2 4

O 1 × 2=2 O 1 × 3=3

Changing the coefficient of Fe to 2 results in an equal number of Fe atoms on the

reactant and product sides. But wait! The equation is still not balanced because the number
of oxygen atoms on the reactant side is still not equal to that on the product side. Can you
think of a number that should be the coefficient of O2 in order to balance the number of O
atoms?
If you use 2, the number of O atoms will be 4 on the reactant side and still 3 on the
product side. If you use 3, the number of O atoms will be 6 on the reactant side and still 3
on the product side.
2Fe + 3O2 Fe2O3

Reactant Side Product Side

Fe 2 × 1 = 2 Fe 1 × 2 = 2 4

O 3 × 2=6 O 1 × 3=3

15
 Can you think of any number that you can use as the coefficient of Fe2O3 so that there
will be 6 O atoms as well on the product side? What if you use 2, will this balance the
number of O atoms? Yes, it will! Let’s check.

2Fe + 3O2 2Fe2O3

Reactant Side Product Side

Fe 2 × 1 = 2 Fe 2 × 2 = 4

O 3 × 2=6 O 2 × 3=64

As you can see, the equation is still unbalanced because there are now more Fe atoms
on the product side than on the reactant side. But this is quite easy to solve because all you
have to do is think of a number you can use as the coefficient of Fe so that there will be 4
Fe atoms on the reactant side as well. If you thought of 2, you’re correct!

See, balancing an equation is simply just a matter of multiplication, isn’t it?

Let’s check if the equation is now balanced.

4Fe + 3O2 2Fe2O3

Reactant Side Product Side

Fe 2 × 1 = 2 Fe 2 × 2 = 4 4

O 3 × 2=6 O 2 × 3=64

Therefore, the balanced chemical equation for the rusting of iron is

4Fe + 3O2 2Fe2O3

Can you balance chemical equations now? Balancing chemical equations is really quite
easy. You just have to have enough patience to keep working on finding the proper
coefficients to make the equation balanced.

16
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Balance the following chemical equations:

1. N2 + H2 NH3

2. HgO Hg + O2

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 32.

Were you able to balance both equations? If you were, that’s very good! You’ve
learned a lot from this lesson. If you weren’t, don’t worry. Study this lesson again carefully
before you move on to Lesson 3.

Let’s Remember

Follow these steps when balancing a chemical equation:

♦ Count the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side and product
side.

♦ Find out which atoms are unbalanced.

♦ Balance each element at a time. Do this by placing the appropriate coefficient

before the chemical symbol or formula.

♦ Check if the equation is completely balanced.

17
 LESSON 3

Types of Chemical Reactions

Every second of your life, you are surrounded by chemical reactions. In fact, you are
alive because of thousands of chemical reactions taking place inside your body all at the
same time!

A lot of things in your environment take place as a result of chemical reactions. Food
is cooked because of a chemical reaction. It also spoils as a result of another chemical
reaction. The rusting of iron, the fermentation of malt into beer, the souring of milk are all
chemical reactions. Can you now see how important chemical reactions are in your life?

This lesson will teach you the different types of chemical reactions. You will also learn
some chemical reactions that produce common materials you see around you.

Are you ready to learn more? Read on!

Let’s Study and Analyze

Look at the following boxes. Each box contains a pair of chemical equations. Analyze
each pair and try to figure out what is common to the pair of chemical reactions
represented by the equations.
Pair 1

2H2 + O2 2H2O
2Na + Cl2 2NaCl

Pair 2

CaCO3 CaO + CO2

2NaHCO3 Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O

Pair 3

Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2

H2SO4 + Zn ZnSO4 + H2

18
 Pair 4

Mg(OH)2 + 2HCl MgCl2 + 2H2O

NaOH + HCl NaCl + H2O

Were you able to figure out the similarities between the reactions in each pair?
In Pair 1, each reaction involves the coming together of two substances to form a single
substance. Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water; sodium and chlorine combine to
form sodium chloride.
In Pair 2, a single substance breaks down into two or more substances. Calcium
carbonate breaks down into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide; sodium bicarbonate breaks
down into sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water.
In Pair 3, an element replaces another element in a compound. Magnesium replaces
hydrogen in hydrochloric acid, forming magnesium chloride; zinc replaces hydrogen in
sulfuric acid, forming zinc sulfate.
In Pair 4, an exchange of anions and cations takes place between two compounds.
Magnesium from magnesium hydroxide switches places with hydrogen from hydrochloric
acid, forming magnesium chloride and water; sodium in sodium hydroxide switches places
with hydrogen in hydrochloric acid, forming sodium chloride and water.

Let’s Learn

In the preceding activity, the pairs of equations you analyzed represent the four types
of chemical reactions. These are:

1. synthesis/combination;
2. decomposition;
3. single displacement; and
4. double replacement/displacement.
The first pair of equations in the activity represents synthesis/combination reactions.
The second pair represents decomposition reactions. The third pair represents single
displacement reactions and the fourth pair represents double replacement reactions.
Let’s study the types of reactions one by one.
A synthesis/combination reaction takes place when two or more elements or
compounds combine to form a more complex molecule.
This can be represented as:

A + B AB

19
 Ammonia is a very versatile compound. It is usually sold as a water solution and is
commonly used in households as cleanser and disinfectant. Ammonia is also used in
manufacturing other chemicals. More importantly, it is a refrigerant (something that freezes
or chills) and is now increasingly used as a substitute for chloroflourocarbon compounds
(CFCs) which deplete the ozone layer and cause environmental problems.

How is ammonia produced? Ammonia is produced commercially through a synthesis/

combination reaction. Nitrogen and hydrogen gases are combined in this process called the
Haber-Bosch process.

The equation for the reaction is:

3H2 + N2 2NH3

Let’s Review

Which of the following is a synthesis/combination reaction? Encircle the number of

your choice.

1. 2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

2. C + O2 CO2

3. 2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2

4. CaO + 2HCl CaCl2 + H2O

Did you choose number 2? If you did, that’s very good!

20
 Let’s Learn

In a decomposition reaction one compound decomposes or breaks down into two

or more substances.

The breaking down of the compound into two or more substances commonly occurs
when heat is added to the compound.

We can write the equation for this reaction as:

AB A + B

Have you ever seen a coral reef? A coral reef is a formation found in shallow marine
water. It serves as home to many sea organisms. Do you know what a coral reef is made
of? It is made of limestone, a type of rock made mostly of calcium carbonate. Limestone
has many uses. It is used in the extraction of iron, as an ingredient of Portland cement, as a
building stone and even as an ornament. It is also used as a source of lime or calcium oxide.

In making lime, limestone is heated in order to decompose it. The chemical equation
for the reaction is:
CaCO3 CaO + CO2

Lime, on the other hand, is used in making porcelain and glass, in purifying sugar, as
an ingredient of bleaching powder and water softeners and in making cements.
Do you like to eat pandisal? One of the ingredients of pandisal is baking soda or
sodium bicarbonate, which is responsible for the rising of the dough. The dough rises
because of the carbon dioxide produced by the decomposition of sodium bicarbonate
(NaHCO3). Sodium bicarbonate decomposes when heated. The equation for the reaction
is:
2NaHCO3 Na2CO3 + CO2
+ H2O

Sodium bicarbonate is also used as a fire extinguisher because of the production of

carbon dioxide when it is heated.

21
 Let’s Review

Which of the following is a decomposition reaction?

1. 2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

2. C + O2 CO2

3. 2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2

4. CaO + 2HCl CaCl2 + H2O

Did you answer number 3? If you did, that’s very good!

Let’s Learn

In a single displacement reaction, one element reacts by replacing another element

in a compound.

To determine which element will be displaced, you need to know the electromotive
or activity series. This is an arrangement which shows what metal can displace another
metal from an aqueous solution of its salt or acid. It looks like this:

Element Symbol

Lithium Li
Potassium K
Barium Ba
Calcium Ca
Sodium Na
Magnesium Mg
Aluminum Al decreasing
Zinc Zn activity
Nickel Ni
Tin Sn
Lead Pb
(Hydrogen) (H)
Copper Cu
Mercury Hg
Silver Ag
Gold Au

22
 The arrow indicates that the lower you go down the series, the less active the
elements. For example, aluminum is lower than magnesium. Therefore, aluminum is less
active than magnesium. This means that magnesium can replace aluminum in its solution but
aluminum cannot replace magnesium in its solution.

Look at the following reactions:

Zn (s) + NiSO4 (aq) ZnSO4 + Ni (s)

Why was zinc able to displace nickel? Because zinc is higher than nickel in the activity
series. Now look at this reaction:

Au (s) + HCl (aq) no reaction

Why was there no reaction? Because hydrogen is higher than gold in the activity series
and thus cannot be displaced by gold.

A single displacement reaction can thus be represented as:

A + BC AC + B If A is more active than B

A + BC no reaction If A is less active than B

Let’s Review

Which of the following is a single replacement reaction?

1. 2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

2. C + O2 CO2

3. 2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2

4. CaO + 2HCl CaCl2 + H2O

Did you answer number 1? If you did, that’s very good!

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 Let’s Learn

Double displacement reaction involves the reaction of two compounds to produce

two new substances. The positive ion of one compound exchanges with the positive ion of
another compound.

This can be represented by the general equation

AB + CD AD + CB

Have you ever suffered from hyperacidity? Hyperacidity occurs when your stomach
produces too much acid. It is quite a painful condition. To relieve hyperacidity, you have to
take an antacid. Milk of magnesia, Mg (OH2), is a common antacid that can neutralize the
hydrochloric acid secreted by the stomach. The equation for the reaction is:

2HCl (aq) + Mg(OH)2 (s) MgCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (l)

Note that the reaction produces a salt (MgCl2) and water, which are both harmless to
the stomach. Thus, the pain caused by the acid in the stomach is relieved.

Let’s Review

Which of the following is a double displacement reaction?

1. 2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

2. C + O2 CO2

3. 2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2

4. CaO + 2HCl CaCl2 + H2O

If your answer is number 4, you are correct! Congratulations!

Let’s See What You Have Learned

State the type of reaction represented by each of the following equations.

__________ 1. 2Na (s) + 2H2O (l) 2NaOH (aq) + H2

__________ 2. KNO3 KNO2 (s) + O2 (g)

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 __________ 3. 3Mg(s) + N2(g) Mg3N2 (s)

__________ 4. CaO (s) + H2O (l) Ca(OH)2 (aq)

__________ 5. 2HgO (s) 2Hg (l) + O2

__________ 6. CaSO4 + HCl CaCl2 + H2SO4

__________ 7. Zn + 2AgNO3 ZnNO3 + 2Ag

__________ 8. 3FeCl2 (aq) + 2Na3PO4 (aq) Fe3(PO4)2 (s) +

6NaCl (aq)

__________ 9. 3MnO2 (s) + 4Al (l) 2Al2O3 (s) + 3Mn (s)

__________ 10. 2Al + 3Br2 AlBr3

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 32.

Let’s Remember

♦ There are four types of chemical reactions. These are synthesis/combination,

decomposition, single displacement and double displacement/replacement.

♦ In a synthesis/combination reaction, two or more elements combine to form a

compound.

♦ In decomposition, a compound breaks down into two or three substances.

♦ In a single displacement reaction, an element replaces another element in a

compound.

♦ In a double displacement reaction, two compounds exchange ions.

You have now reached the end of the module. Congratulations for finishing it! Did you
enjoy reading it? Did you learn a lot from it? Below is a summary of its main points to help
you remember them better.

Let’s Sum Up

♦ A chemical reaction is a process that results in the formation of one or more new
substances.

♦ A chemical reaction can be conveniently represented by a chemical equation.

25
♦ A chemical equation shows the reactants and the products of a chemical
reaction.
♦ The reactants are the materials before the start of the reaction; the products are
the substances formed as a result of the reaction.
♦ The steps in balancing a chemical equation are:
• Count the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side and the
product side.
• Find out which atoms are unbalanced.
• Balance each element at a time by placing the appropriate coefficient
before the chemical symbol/formula.
• Check if the equation is completely balanced.
• The four types of chemical reaction are synthesis/combination,
decomposition, single displacement and double displacement.

What Have You Learned?

A. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. When heated to about 300°C, H2SO4 decomposes into H2O, SO2 and
O2. This chemical reaction is best represented by the chemical equation:

a. H2SO4 H2O + SO2 + O2

b. H2SO4 2H2O + SO2 + O2

c. 2H2SO4 2H2O + SO2 + O2

d. 2H2SO4 2H2O + 2SO2 + O2

2. The chemical equation 2KOH + H2SO4 K2SO4 + 2H2O

is read as:
a. Potassium hydroxide reacts with sulfuric acid, forming potassium
sulfate and water.
b. Potassium hydroxide reacts with sulfuric acid, forming dipotassium
sulfate and water.
c. Potassium hydroxide reacts with sulfuric acid, forming calcium sulfate
and water.
d. Potassium hydrate reacts with sulfuric acid, forming potassium sulfate
and water.

26
3. Which of the following equations correctly illustrates the reaction between
aluminum and oxygen gas, forming aluminum oxide?

a. Al + O2 Al2O3

b. Al + 3O2 Al2O3

c. 4Al + 3O2 2Al2O3

d. 4Al + O2 2Al2O3

4. When the chemical equation Al(OH)3 + HCl AlCl3 +

H2O is balanced, the coefficient of HCl is ______.

a. 3

b. 4

c. 5

d. 6

5. Balancing the chemical equation HNO3 + SO2 H2SO4 +

NO 2 will result in NO2 having a coefficient ______.

a. greater than the coefficient of HNO3

b. equal to the coefficient of HNO3

c. equal to the coefficient of H2SO4

d. equal to the coefficient of SO2

6. The decomposition of potassium perchlorate is represented by the

chemical equation KClO4 KCl + O2. Which of the
following correctly illustrates the balanced equation of the reaction?

a. KClO4 KCl + 2O2

b. 2KClO4 2KCl + 2O2

c. 2KClO4 2KCl + O2

d. 2KClO4 2KCl + 4O2

27
 7. Which of the following chemical equations illustrates a decomposition
reaction?

a. 2H2 + O2 2H2O

b. CrCl3 + 3AgNO3 Cr(NO3)3 + 3AgCl

c. 2H2O2 2H2O + O2

d. 2KI + Br2 2KBr + I2

8. Which of the following equations represents a double displacement

reaction?
a. 3Ca(OH)2 + 2H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + 6H2O
b. N2 + 3H2 2NH3
c. Fe2S3 2Fe + 3S
d. 2PbO + O2 2PbO2
9. All of the following equations represent double displacement reactions
except:
a. NaCl + KNO3 NaNO3 + KCl
b. 2HCl + Na2CO3 2NaCl + H2CO3
c. 3Fe + 4H2O 4H2 + Fe3O4
d. H2SO4 + NaCl NaHSO4 + HCl
10. When sugar, C12H22O11, is heated, it forms carbon and water. The
chemical reaction is represented by the equation
C12H22O11 12C + 11H2O. This reaction is classified as a
__________________ reaction.
a. combination
b. decomposition
c. single displacement
d. double displacement
B. Tell whether each of the following chemical equations is balanced or not. If it is
not, write the correct balanced equation. Then tell what type of reaction each
equation represents.
1. 3Ca + 2H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + H2
2. 2FeCl2 + Cl2 2FeCl3
3. Al(NO3)3 + 3NaOH 3NaNO3 + Al(OH)3

28
 4. 2CuO + H2 Cu + H2O
5. H2SO4 + 2NaCl HCl + Na2SO4
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 33.

If you got a perfect score, that’s very good! You learned a lot from this module. If not,
just study again the parts of the module that you did not understand very well. Afterward,
you may move on to the next module.

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 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (pages 2–4)

A. 1. d This is the correct answer because the equation is balanced. The

other options show unbalanced equations.
2. c The chemical equation tells us that sodium reacts with water to
form sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
3. a This is correct because the equation is balanced.
4. c The balanced equation is 4Al + 3MnO2 3Mn +
2Al2O3. Therefore, the coefficient of Al is 4.
5. b The balanced equation is 2KI + Br2 2KBr +
I2. Therefore, the coefficient of KBr is the same as the
coefficient of KI.
6. d This is the balanced equation of the reaction.
7. d In this reaction, bromine replaces iodine in potassium iodide,
forming potassium bromide and free iodine.
8. a You can tell that this reaction is not a combination reaction
because the reactants did not form a single product, which is the
main characteristic of a combination reaction.
9. c This is a single displacement reaction, with iron replacing
hydrogen in water.
10. a This is a combination reaction because iron and oxygen combine
to form a single compound—rust.
B. 1. Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + 2NaOH (aq) 2NaNO3 (aq) +
Ca(OH)2 (aq)
double displacement
2. 3Na2CO3 (s) + 2H3PO4 (aq) 2Na3PO4(s) +
3H2O(l) + 3CO2

double displacement
3. Mg (s) + H2SO4 (aq) MgSO4 (aq) + H2

single displacement
4. 2H2O2 (aq) 2H2O (l) + O2

decomposition
5. 2Al (s) + 3Br2 2AlBr3 (aq)

synthesis/combination

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B. Lesson 1

Let’s Review (page 9)

1. KC1O3 KCl + O2
2. Al(OH)3 + H2SO4 Al2(SO4)3 + H2O

3. AgNO3 + H2S Ag2S + HNO3

4. Al + O2 Al2O3

5. H2 + Cl2 HCl

Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 10)

1. a. sodium bromide and chlorine sodium chloride and

bromine

b. NaBr + Cl2 NaCl + Br2

2. a. magnesium and hydrogen bromide magnesium

bromide and hydrogen gas

b. Mg + HBr MgBr2 + H2

3. a. barium hydroxide and hydrogen iodide barium iodide

and water

b. Ba(OH)2 + HI BaI2 + H2O

4. a. sodium hydroxide sodium oxide and water

b. NaOH NaO + H2O

5. a. silver nitrate and sodium chloride silver chloride and

sodium nitrate

b. AgNO3 + NaCl AgCl (s) + NaNO3

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C. Lesson 2

Let’s Study and Analyze (page 13)

1. CH4 + O2 H2O + CO2

Reactant Side Product Side
C=1×1=1 C=1×1=1
H=1×4=4 H=1×2=2
O=1×2=2 O = (1 × 1) + (1 × 2) = 3

Therefore, the equation is not balanced.

2. H2O2 H2O + O2
Reactant Side Product Side
H=1×2=2 H=1×2=2
O=1×2=2 O = (1 × 1) + (1 × 2) = 3

Therefore, the equation is not balanced.

Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 17)

1. N2 + 3H2 2NH3
2. 2HgO 2Hg + O2

D. Lesson 3

Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 24–25)

1. single displacement
2. decomposition
3. combination/synthesis
4. combination/synthesis
5. decomposition
6. double displacement
7. single displacement
8. double displacement
9. single displacement
10. combination/synthesis

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E. What Have You Learned? (pages 26–29)

A. 1. d This is the balanced equation for the reaction.

2. a The equation states that potassium hydroxide reacts with sulfuric
acid to form potassium sulfate and water.
3. c This is the balanced equation for the reaction.
4. a The balanced chemical equation is
Al(OH)3 + 3HCl AlCl3 + 3H2O
Therefore, the coeficient of HCl is 3.
5. b The balanced equation is
2HNO3 + SO2 H2SO4 + 2NO2
Therefore, NO2 and HNO3 have the same coefficient, which is 2.
6. a This is the correct balanced equation for the reaction.
7. c In this reaction, hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and
oxygen.Option a is a combination reaction; b is a double
displacement reaction; and d is a single displacement reaction.
8. a In this reaction, calcium switches with hydrogen to form calcium
phosphate and water. Options b and d are combination
reactions while c is a decomposition reaction.
9. c This is a single displacement reaction.

10. b In this reaction, sugar breaks down into its components, carbon
and water.

B. 1. The equation is not balanced. The balanced equation is

3Ca + 2H3PO4 Ca3(PO4)2 + 3H2
This is a single displacement reaction.
2. The equation is balanced. It represents a combination reaction.
3. The equation is balanced. It represents a double displacement
reaction.
4. The equation is not balanced. The balanced equation is
CuO + H2 Cu + H2O
This is a single displacement reaction.
5. The equation is not balanced. The balanced equation is
H2SO4 + 2NaCl 2HCl + Na2SO4

33
 Appendix

Glossary
Atom The smallest particle of an element that can exist alone or in combination with
other atoms.

Balanced Said of a chemical equation when the number of atoms of each element on
the reactant side is the same as that on the product side of the equation.

Chemical equation The shorthand way for describing the course of a chemical
reaction.

Chemical formula A shorthand way of writing the name of a compound.

Chemical reaction A process in which a change takes place in one or more

substances, resulting in the formation of one or more new substances.

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Chemical symbol A shorthand way of writing the name of an element.

Coefficient A small whole number found to the left of a chemical symbol or formula
in an equation.

Compound A substance formed from the combination of two or more elements.

Decomposition A chemical reaction in which a compound breaks down into its

components.

Double displacement A type of chemical reaction in which two positive ions from
two different compounds switch places in the compounds.

Electromotive or activity series An arrangement of metals which shows what

metal can replace another metal in an aqueous solution.

Element A substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances.

Product The substance that forms as a result of a chemical reaction.

Reactant The starting material in a chemical reaction.

Single displacement A type of chemical reaction in which an element replaces

another element in an aqueous solution of its acid or salt.

Subscript A small whole number found to the right of a chemical symbol in a

formula.

Synthesis or combination A type of chemical reaction in which two or more

substances come together to form a new compound.

Reference

Mendoza, Estrella A. and Teresita F. Religioso. You and the Natural World Series:
Chemistry. 2nd ed. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing House, 1997.

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