Directions: Use this information as a general reference tool to guide
you through this unit. Don’t hesitate to ask your teacher for help!
By the conclusion of this unit,
you should know the following:
1. There are five basic types of
chemical reactions (S, D, SR, DR,
Comb.) that exhibit distinct patterns
for the prediction of products.
2. Experimental evidence can be used
to identify products in a reaction.
3. All reactions follow the Law of
Conservation of Matter (balancing
equations).
4. Symbols are used to identify different
aspects of a chemical reaction (states
of matter, catalysts, heat, etc.).
5. Collision theory describes
characteristics for a successful
reaction.
6. Factors can be altered to affect the
rate of a reaction (temperature,
surface area, catalyst, concentration).
By the conclusion of this unit, you should be
able to do the following:
1. Balance chemical reactions.
2. Identify type of chemical reaction.
3. Identify if a reaction will occur using an
activity series.
4. Predict products for a reaction.
5. Write balance formula equation given
chemical equation (words).
6. Using the collision theory, explain how
altering the temperature, surface area,
concentration and the addition of a
catalyst affects the rate of a reaction.
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1. What type of reaction is it?
a. element + element 
b. ionic compound + ionic compound 
c. element + ionic compound 
d. compound 
e. compound + oxygen 

2. How can you tell if a chemical change has taken place? List examples.

3. Define a chemical reaction. Why must we balance chemical equations? (if it is a

“must” there must be a “law” governing the concept).

4. Balance each reaction below. Identify each type the following reactions are:
a)  NaOH(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) --> NaNO3(aq) + Pb(OH)2(s)
b)  CH4(g) + O2(g) --> CO2(g) + H2O(l)
c)  Fe(s) + NaBr(aq) --> FeBr3(aq) + Na(s)
d)  Pb(s) + O2(g) --> PbO (g)
e)  Na2CO3(s) --> Na2O(s) + CO2(g)

5. Complete and balance each reaction below:

a) Mg + HCl  _________ + ____________
b) C2H6 + O2  _________ + ____________
c) CaF2 + Na2SO4  _________ + ____________
d) Sr + N2  __________

6. List three factors effecting the rate of a chemical reaction. Know why they effect
the reaction rate (collision theory!)
2
3
NOTES: CHEMICAL REACTIONS
VOCABULARY:

Products what is formed in a chemical reaction; right of arrow

Reactants what goes into a chemical reaction; left of arrow

 yields

+ and

(s) solid

(l) liquid

(g) gas

(aq) aqueous – only works when dissolved in water

Catalyst a substance that speeds up a reaction but is not itself consumed; provides an
easier reaction pathway that requires less activation energy

Activation Energy (Ea) energy necessary to initiate a chemical reaction

ENERGY OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS:

Exothermic Reaction: ΔH is – Endothermic Reaction: ΔH =

+
(heat is a “product”) (heat is a “reactant”)

4
 Energy Energy

Time Time

KINETICS: RATE OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Collision Theory: for a reaction to occur, the reactants must collide with sufficient
energy and with the proper orientation (and in the correct ratio)

Factors Affecting Reaction Rate:

1. Temperature

if temperature is increased, the reaction will be quicker.

5
faster moving particles collide more often, and more particles will have enough
energy (Ea) when they collide

2. Particle size (surface area)

more exposed particles causes more collisions, so there will be more collisions
with the correct orientation

3. Nature of Reaction

reaction rate is also determined by the properties of the reactants

4. Adding a Catalyst or Inhibitor

a catalyst speeds up a reaction by lowering the required activation energy

an inhibitor slows down a reaction by raising the activation energy

6
BALANCED CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Law of Conservation of Matter: matter cannot be created or destroyed in a

chemical reaction

WORD  FORMULA  BALANCED EQUATIONS

1. word equation: Hydrogen gas reacts with oxygen gas to form water

formula equation: ____ H2 + O2  H2O

___________________________________________

diagram: H–H + O = O O + O
H–H H H H H

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balanced reaction ____2 H2 + O2  2 H2O
___________________________________________

2. word equation: Magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid solution (HCl in

water) to form
magnesium chloride and hydrogen.

Formula equation: ____ Mg + HCl  MgCl2 + H2

__________________________________

diagram: Mg + H – Cl  Cl-1Mg+2Cl-1 + H–H

H – Cl

balanced reaction _______ Mg + 2 HCl  MgCl2 + H2

________________________________

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Try balancing these chemical reactions:

a. 2Na + H2SO4  Na2SO4 + H2

b. 2K + Cl2  2 KCl

c. S8 + 8 O2  8SO2

d. 3F2 + 2 FeBr3  2 FeF3 + 3Br2

e. 3H2SO4 + 2 Al  Al2(SO4)3 + 3H2

f. 2 C2H6 + 7 O2  4CO2 + 6H2O

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g. 2 NaNO3 + Ca(MnO4)2  2 NaMnO4 + Ca(NO3)2

h. SKIP P4 + KClO3  KCl + P2O5

Balancing Chemical Equations

Balance the equations below:

1) ____ N2 + ____ H2  ____ NH3

2) ____ KClO3  ____ KCl + ____ O2

3) ____ NaCl + ____ F2  ____ NaF + ____ Cl2

4) ____ H2 + ____ O2  ____ H2O

5) ____ Pb(OH)2 + ____ HCl  ____ H2O + ____ PbCl2

6) ____ AlBr3 + ____ K2SO4  ____ KBr + ____ Al2(SO4)3

7) ____ CH4 + ____ O2  ____ CO2 + ____ H2O

8) ____ C3H8 + ____ O2  ____ CO2 + ____ H2O

9) ____ C8H18 + ____ O2  ____ CO2 + ____ H2O

10) ____ FeCl3 + ____ NaOH  ____ Fe(OH)3 + ____NaCl

11) ____ P + ____O2  ____P2O5

12) ____ Na + ____ H2O  ____ NaOH + ____H2

13) ____ Ag2O  ____ Ag + ____O2

14) ____ S8 + ____O2  ____ SO3

15) ____ CO2 + ____ H2O  ____ C6H12O6 + ____O2

16) ____ K + ____ MgBr  ____ KBr + ____ Mg

17) ____ HCl + ____ CaCO3  ____ CaCl2 + ____H2O + ____ CO

18) ____ HNO3 + ____ NaHCO3  ____ NaNO3 + ____ H2O + ____ CO

ANSWERS:

1) 1 + 3  2
2) 2  2 + 3
3) 2 + 1  2 + 1
4) 2 + 1  2
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 5) 1 + 2  2 + 1
6) 2 + 3  6 + 1
7) 1 + 2  1 + 2
8) 1 + 5  3 + 4
9) 2 + 25  16 + 18
10) 1 + 3  1 + 3
11) 4 + 5  2
12) 2 + 2  2 + 1
13) 2  4 + 1
14) 1 + 12  8
15) 6 + 6  1 + 6
16) 2 + 1  2 + 1
17) 2 + 1  1 + 1 + 1
18) 1 + 1  1 + 1 + 1
19) 2 + 1  2
20) 2 + 1  2 + 1

SYNTHESIS, DECOMPOSITION AND COMBUSTION REACTIONS

Types of Reactions: Synthesis, Decomposition and Combustion

Synthesis – A + B  AB (1 product only)

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Decomposition – AB  A + B (1 reactant only)

Combustion of a hydrocarbon – CxHy + O2  CO2 + H2O

Practice:

Balance each reaction below. Then identify the reaction type.

a. H2 + Br2  2 HBr
__synthesis______________

b. C4H8 + 6 O2  4 CO2 + 4 H2O

__combustion____________

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c. 2 NaOH  Na2O + H2O
__decomposition__________

d. Ba(ClO3)2  BaCl2 + 3 O2
__decomposition__________

First write and balance the equation. Then identify the reaction type.

e. phosphorus + oxygen  tetraphosphorus decoxide __ synthesis

_____________

4 P + 5 O2  P4O10

f. pentane (C5H12) + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water __ combustion

____________

C5H12 + 8 O2  5 CO2 + 6 H2O

13
g. magnesium chlorate  magnesium chloride + oxygen ___ decomposition
_________

Mg(ClO3)2  MgCl2 + 3 O2

h. when solid calcium carbonate is heated calcium oxide and carbon dioxide are formed

___ decomposition _________

CaCO3  CaO + CO2

i. the formation of calcium nitride from calcium and nitrogen ___ synthesis
_____________

3 Ca + N2  Ca3N2

14
j. sulfur trioxide mixes with water in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid ___
synthesis ________

SO3 + H2O  H2SO4

15
 NOTES: SINGLE DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS & DOUBLE
DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS

1. Single Displacement Reactions (aqueous ONLY)

metals:
standard: A(s) + BX (aq)  AX (aq) + B(s)

example: Cu + 2 AgNO3  Cu(NO3)2 + 2 Ag

metal + acid:
standard: A(s) + HX (aq)  AX (aq) + H2(g)

example: Mg + 2 HCl  MgCl2 + H2

metal + water:
standard: A(s) + H2O(l)  AOH(aq) + H2(g)

example: 2 K + 2 H2O  2 KOH + H2

halogens:
standard: X2 + AY  AX + Y2

example: F2 + 2 KI  2 KF + I2

16
2. Double Displacement (aqueous only)
standard : AX (aq) + BY (aq)  AY(aq) + BX(s)

example : Ba(NO3)2 + NaI  BaI2 + NaNO3

3. Identify the reaction type for each reaction below. Then complete and balance
the reaction.

_single displacement_ a. Ba + 2 AgNO3  Ba(NO3)2 + 2Ag

__single displacement________b. F2 + 2KI  2 KF + I2

__double displacement c. NaOH + CaCl2  _2 NaCl + Ca(OH)2

___single displacement d. Zn + H2SO4  ZnSO4 + H2

17
WRITING WORD EQUATIONS

__decomposition_______________1. aluminum chlorate  aluminum chloride +

oxygen
2 Al(ClO3)3  9 O2 + 2 AlCl3

__SR_______________ 2. lithium + iron (III) nitrate  lithium nitrate + iron

3 Li + Fe(NO3)3  3 LiNO3 + Fe

__decomposition_______________ 3. magnesium carbonate  magnesium oxide +

carbon dioxide
MgCO3  MgO + CO2

__synthesis____________ 4. tin + nitrogen  tin (IV) nitride

3 Sn + 2 N2  Sn3N4

__SR____________ 5. Zinc reacts with nitric acid to form zinc nitrate and hydrogen
Zn + 2 HNO3  Zn(NO3)2 + H2

__decomposition__________6. calcium hydroxide breaks down to form calcium oxide

and water
Ca(OH)2  CaO + H2O

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WRITING WORD EQUATIONS WITH PREDICTING PRODUCTS

__synthesis_______________ 1. aluminum + oxygen 

4 Al + 3 O2  2 Al2O3

__SR____________ 2. sodium + silver nitrate 

Na + AgNO3  NaNO3 + Ag

__SR_______________ 3. magnesium + hydrochloric acid 

Mg + 2 HCl  MgCl2 + H2

___DR______________ 4. solutions of iron (III) nitrate + potassium sulfate are mixed


2 Fe(NO3)3 + 3 K2SO4  Fe2(SO4)3 + 6 KNO3

____SR_____________ 5. Chlorine gas is bubbled through a solution of lithium iodide


Cl2 + 2 LiI  2 LiCl + I2

19
 Fun With Predicting Reaction Products

Predict the products of each of the following chemical reactions. If a reaction will
not occur, explain why not:

1) ____ Ag2SO4 + __2__ NaNO3  2 AgNO3 + Na2SO4

2) __2__ NaI + ____ CaSO4  CaI2 + Na2SO4

3) __2__ HNO3 + ____ Ca(OH)2  2 H2O + Ca(NO3)2

4) ____ Zn + ___2__ HNO3  Zn(NO3)2 + H2

5) ____ AlCl3 + ____ (NH4)3PO4  AlPO4 + 3 NH4Cl

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6) ___3_ Pb + ___2_ Fe(NO3)3  3 Pb(NO3)2 + 2 Fe

7) ___2_ C3H6 + __9__ O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O

8) __2__ Na + ____ CaSO4  Na2SO4 + Ca

21
 WRITING WORD EQUATIONS

a. lithium + nitrogen  lithium nitride

6 Li + N2  2 Li3N

b. aluminum + oxygen  aluminum oxide

4 Al + 3 O2  2 Al2O3

c. sodium carbonate  sodium oxide + carbon dioxide

Na2CO3  Na2O + CO2

d. zinc + phosphoric acid  zinc phosphate + hydrogen gas

3 Zn + 2 H3PO4  Zn3(PO4)2 + 3 H2

e. chlorine gas + lithium iodide  lithium chloride + iodine

Cl2 + 2 LiI  2 LiCl + I2

f. sodium hydroxide  sodium oxide + water

2 NaOH  Na2O + H2O

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g. magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride and
hydrogen gas

Mg + 2 HCl  MgCl2 + H2

h. solutions of iron (III) chloride and sodium hydroxide react to form iron (III)
hydroxide and sodium chloride

FeCl3 + 3 NaOH  Fe(OH)3 + 3 NaCl

i. when sodium is added to water, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas are produced\

2 Na + 2 H2O  2NaOH + H2

j. when zinc is placed in a solution of lead (II) nitrate, zinc nitrate and solid lead
metal are formed

Zn + Pb(NO3)2  Zn(NO3)2 + Pb

23
 HOMEWORK: BALANCING CHEMICAL REACTIONS NAME:
DATE:

1. ___P4 + _5__O2  _2__P2O5

2. _2__Al + _6__HCl  _2__AlCl3 + _3__H2

3. ___Al2(SO4)3 + _3__Ca(OH)2  _2__Al(OH)3 + _3__CaSO4

4. _8__H2S + _8__Cl2  ___S8 + _16__HCl

5. _3___Mg + ____N2  ____Mg3N2

6. _3___Fe + _4___H2O  ____Fe3O4 + _4___H2

7. _2___NaOH + ____Cl2  ____NaCl + ____NaClO + ____H2O

8. _2___C4H10 + _13___O2  _8___CO2 + _10___H2O

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9. __2___CH3OH + __3___O2  _2___CO2 + __4___ H2O

HOMEWORK: SYNTHESIS, DECOMPOSITION AND COMBUSTION

REACTIONS
1. Classify each equation below as synthesis, decomposition or combustion. Then
balance each equation.

__decomposition_________________ 1. 2 NaClO3  2 NaCl + 3 O2

__synthesis______________________ 2. 2 Cu + S  Cu2S

__synthesis______________________ 3. 2 S + 3 O2  2 SO3

__combustion___________________ 4. 2 C3H6 + 9 O2  6 CO2 + 6

H2O

25
2. Classify each equation below as synthesis, decomposition or combustion. Write
and balance the equation for the reaction.
water
_decomposition_______________________ 1. potassium hydroxide  potassium
oxide + hydrogen

2 KOH  K2O + H2O

__combustion______________________ 2. dicarbon tetrahydride + oxygen  carbon

dioxide + water

C2H4 + 3 O2 2 CO2 + 2 H2O

__decomposition_____________________ 3. lithium chlorate  lithium chloride +

oxygen

2 LiClO3  2 LiCl + 3 O2

__synthesis______________________ 4. magnesium + nitrogen  magnesium

nitride

3 Mg + N2  Mg3N2

__synthesis_____________________ 5. aluminum burns in pure oxygen to form

aluminum oxide

4 Al + 3 O2 2 Al2O3

26
__decomposition__________ 6. sodium carbonate is heated to form sodium oxide and
carbon dioxide

Na2CO3  Na2O + CO2

__synthesis_____________________ 7. water and dinitrogen pentoxide combine to

form nitric acid
H2O + N2O5  2 HNO3

27
CLASSIFICATION OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Classify the reactions below as synthesis, decomposition, single replacement or double

replacement:

1. 2H2 + O2  2H2O _____synthesis_& combustion

______

2. 2H2O  2H2 + O2
______decomposition_______________

3. Zn + H2SO4  ZnSO4 + H2
______single____________________

4. 2CO + O2  2CO2 ______synthesis__&

combustion_____

5. 2HgO  2Hg + O2 _____decomposition__________

6. 2 KBr + Cl2  2 KCl + Br2

_____single_____________________

28
7. CaO + H2O  Ca(OH)2
____synthesis______________________

8. AgNO3 + NaCl  AgCl + NaNO3

____double______________________

9. 2 H2O2  2H2O + O2
____decomposition_______________

10. Ca(OH)2 + H2SO4  CaSO4 + 2H2O

___double_______________________

11. Copper metal is put into a solution of silver nitrate. Solid silver precipitates, and
copper (II) nitrate solution is formed.
Cu + 2 AgNO3  2 Ag + Cu(NO3)2 single displacement

12. Methane gas burns in pure oxygen to give carbon dioxide and water
CH4 + 2 O2  CO2 + 2 H2O combustion of a hydrocarbon

13. When sodium carbonate is heated, it breaks down to form sodium oxide and carbon
dioxide.
Na2CO3  Na2O + CO2 decomposition

29
HOMEWORK – PRACTICE REACTION WRITING

Identify the reaction type for each reaction written below. Then write the balanced
equation for each reaction.

____single displacement___ 1. Magnesium is placed in a solution of aluminum nitrate

3 Mg + 2 Al(NO3)3 3 Mg(NO3)2 + 2 Al

_______synthesis________________ 2. Calcium burns in pure oxygen.

2 Ca + O2  2CaO

____combustion hydrocarbon_____ 3. The combustion of propane (C3H8)

__________C3H8 + 5 O2  3 CO2 + 4 H2O_________________

30
____single displacement_____ 4. Fluorine is bubble through a solution of sodium
bromide

__________F2 + 2 NaBr  2 NaF + Br2

_______________________________________

___double displacement______ 5. Solutions of potassium chloride and barium

hydroxide are mixed.

_____2 KCl + Ba(OH)2  2 KOH + BaCl2 ______________________________

31