TYPES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

A. COMBINATION REACTION
A combination reaction is a reaction in which two or more substances combine to form a single new
substance. Combination reactions can also be called synthesis reactions. The general form of a
combination reaction is:
A+B  AB

 One combination reaction is two elements combining to form a compound. Example is when
solid sodium metal reacts with chlorine gas to produce solid sodium chloride.
 Combination reactions can also take place when an element reacts with a compound to form a
new compound composed of a larger number of atoms.
 Two compounds may also react to form a more complex compound. A very common
example is the reactions of oxides with water. Calcium oxide reacts readily with water to
produce an aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide.
 COMBUSTION REACTIONS- A combustion reaction is a reaction in which a substance
reacts with oxygen gas, releasing energy in the form of light and heat. The combustion of
hydrogen gas produces water vapor. Many combustion reactions occur with a hydrocarbon, a
compound made up solely of carbon and hydrogen. The products of the combustion of
hydrocarbons are carbon dioxide and water.

B. DECOMPOSITION REACTION
A decomposition reaction is a reaction in which a compound breaks down into two or more simpler
substances. The general form of a decomposition reaction is:
AB  A+B

 The simplest kind of decomposition reaction is when a binary compound decomposes into its
elements.
 A reaction is also considered to be a decomposition reaction even when one or more of the
products are still compounds.
 Metal hydroxides decompose on heating to yield metal oxides and water. Sodium hydroxide
decomposes to produce sodium oxide and water
Metal hydroxide metal oxide+ H2O
 Some unstable acids decompose to produce nonmetal oxides and water. Carbonic acid
decomposes easily at room temperature into carbon dioxide and water.
Unstable acid nonmetal oxide+ H2O

C. SINGLE REPLACEMENT REACTION

A third type of reaction is the single replacement reaction, in which one element replaces a similar
element in a compound. The general form of a single-replacement (also called single-displacement)
reaction is:
A+BC  AC+B

Take note that a metal replaces another element that is also a metal, in the compound. When the
element that is doing the replacing is a nonmetal, it must replace another nonmetal in a compound.
  METAL REPLACEMENT REACTION- a metal that is being replaced
 HYDROGEN REPLACEMENT- The hydrogen in the acid or water is replaced by an active
metal. Some metals are so reactive that they are capable of replacing the hydrogen in water.
 HALOGEN REPLACEMENT- replacement of a halogen by a more reactive halogen.

D. DOUBLE REPLACEMENT REACTION

A double-replacement reaction is a reaction in which the positive and negative ions of two ionic
compounds exchange places to form two new compounds. The general form of a double-replacement
(also called double-displacement) reaction is:
AB+CD  AD+CB

 PRECIPITATION REACTIONS- A precipitate forms in a double-replacement reaction when

the cations from one of the reactants combine with the anions from the other reactant to form
an insoluble ionic compound.
 GAS EVOLUTION REACTIONS- Some double-replacement reactions produce a gaseous
product which then bubbles out of the solution and escapes into the air. For example, when
solutions of sodium sulfide and hydrochloric acid are mixed, the products of the reaction are
aqueous sodium chloride and hydrogen sulfide gas.
 NEUTRALIZATION REACTIONS- Acids and bases react chemically with each other to
form salts. A salt is a general chemical term for any ionic compound formed from an acid and
a base. In reactions where the acid is a hydrogen-ion-containing compound and the base is a
hydroxide-ion-containing compound, water is also a product. The general reaction is as
follows:
Acid + Base  water+ salt

E. OXIDATION- REDUCTION (REDOX) REACTIONS

An oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction is a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer of
electrons between two species. An oxidation-reduction reaction is any chemical reaction in which the
oxidation number of a molecule, atom, or ion change by gaining or losing an electron.
A+B  A+ + B-

 OXIDATION REACTION- Oxidation is the full or partial loss of electrons or the gain of
oxygen.
A  A+ +e-
 REDUCTION REACTION- Reduction is the full or partial gain of electrons or the loss of
oxygen.
B + e-  B-

ACTIVITY SERIES
Activity Series of Metal elements (Top: most reactive – Bottom: least reactive)
Lithium (Li) React with cold water, replacing hydrogen.
Potassium (K)
Barium (Ba)
 Strontium (Sr)
Calcium (Ca)
Sodium (Na)
Magnesium (Mg)
Aluminum (Al)
Zinc (Zn) React with steam, but not cold water, replacing
Chromium (Cr) hydrogen.
Iron (Fe)
Cadmium (Cd)
Cobalt (Co)
Nickel (Ni)
React with acids, replacing hydrogen
Tin (Sn)
Lead (Pb)
Hydrogen (H)
Copper (Cu)
Mercury (Hg)
Silver (Ag) Unreactive with water or acids
Platinum (Pt)
Gold (Au)

Activity series of Nonmetals (Top: most reactive – Bottom: least reactive)

Fluorine (F)
Chlorine (Cl)
Oxygen (O)
Bromine (Br)
Iodine (I)
Sulfur (S)
Phosphorous (P)

BALANCING CHEMICAL REACTIONS

STEPS IN BALANCING
1. Identify the most complex substance.
2. Beginning with that substance, choose an element(s) that appears in only one reactant and one
product, if possible. Adjust the coefficients to obtain the same number of atoms of this element(s) on
both sides.
3. Balance polyatomic ions (if present on both sides of the chemical equation) as a unit.
4. Balance the remaining atoms, usually ending with the least complex substance and using fractional
coefficients if necessary. If a fractional coefficient has been used, multiply both sides of the equation
by the denominator to obtain whole numbers for the coefficients.
5. Count the numbers of atoms of each kind on both sides of the equation to be sure that the chemical
equation is balanced.
EXAMPLES:
1. Combustion of Heptane
C7H16 (l) + O2 (g)  CO2 (g)+ H2O (g)

Balanced chemical equation:

C7H16 (l) + 11O2 (g)  7CO2 (g)+ 8H2O (g)

2. Precipitation of Lead (II) Chloride

Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + NaCl (aq)  NaNO3 (aq) + PbCl2(s)

Balanced chemical equation:

Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + 2NaCl (aq)  2NaNO3 (aq) + PbCl2(s)

3. Synthesis of nitrogen dioxide

N2 (g) + O2 (g)  NO2 (g)

Balanced chemical equation:

N2 (g) + 2O2 (g)  2NO2 (g)

4. Reaction between Pb(NO3)2 and FeCl3

Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + FeCl3 (aq)  Fe(NO3)3 (aq) + PbCl2(s)

Balance chemical reaction:

3Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + 2FeCl3 (aq)  2Fe(NO3)3 (aq) + 3PbCl2(s)

5. Combustion of hexane
C6H14 (l) + O2 (g)  CO2 (g)+ H2O (g)

Balanced Chemical reaction:

2C6H14 (l) + 19O2 (g)  12CO2 (g)+ 14H2O (g)