KEY POINTS

 Introduction & characteristics of chemical

changes
 Chemical equation & balancing of equation
 Limitations and making an equation more
informative
 Types of reactions
 Redox reactions
 Effects of oxidation
 Chemical reactions are the processes in which new
substances with new properties are formed.

Chemical reactions involve chemical changes. During

chemical reactions, a rearrangement of atoms takes
place between the reacting substances to form new
substances having entirely different properties.

 Chemical reactions involve breaking of old chemical

bonds which exist between the atoms of reacting
substances, and then making of new chemical bonds
between the rearranged atoms of new substances.
Characteristics of Chemical Reactions
The important characteristics of chemical reactions are :

(i) Evolution of a gas

(ii) Formation of a precipitate

(iii) Change in colour

(iv) Change in temperature

(v) Change in state

Change in colour:
Ex : Reaction between Potassium permanganate and
Citric acid
• The chemical reaction occurred is
• 6 KMnO4 + C6H8O7 → 6 MnO2 + 4 H2O + 6 CO2 + 3 K2O
• In the above reaction KMnO4 acts as an oxidizing agent
where as citric acid acts as a reducing
• agent. Hence the colour of KMnO4 will be decolorized
due to the formation of manganic acid i.e. HMnO4.
Change in colour:
• Ex : The reaction between acidified potassium
dichromate solution and sulphur dioxide gas is
• characterized by change in colour from orange to green.
• The chemical reaction involved is
• SO2 + K2Cr2O7 + 3H2SO4 →K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 3H2O.
• In the above reaction acidified K2Cr2O7 acts as an oxidizing
agent. Where as SO2 gas acts as a
• reducing agent and the colour of solution will be changed from
orange to green due to the formation
• of Cr2(SO4)3.
• What is the role of SO2 in the reaction?
CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

 The method of representing a chemical reaction with

the help of symbols and formulae of the substances
involved in it is known as a chemical equation.

 The substances which take part in a chemical reaction

are called reactants.
 The new substances produced as a result of chemical
reaction are called products.
Word Equation : Represented by using the
names of the reactants and products
Hydrogen + Oxygen → Water
Unbalanced equation : Chemical equations in which
the number of atoms of all elements on both
sides of the equations are not equal.
H2 + O2 → H2O
Balanced equation : Chemical equations in which the
number of atoms of all elements on both sides of
the equations are equal.
2H2 + O2 → 2H2O
Balanced and Unbalanced Chemical Equations
 According to the law of conservation of mass, when a
chemical reaction occurs, the mass of the products
should be equal to the mass of the reactants.

 A balanced chemical equation occurs when the

number of the atoms involved in the reactants side is
equal to the number of atoms in the products side.

 Let's take a look at an equation representing a

chemical reaction:
Limitations of Balanced Equation :
It doesn't give any information about the rate of the
reaction.
It gives not information about the by-products formed, if
any.
It does not tell about the actual yield of the product.
It may not be kinetically feasible in reality.
To Make Equations More Informative :
 By indicating the “physical states” of the reactants and
products.
 By indicating the “heat changes” taking place in the
reaction.
 By indicating the “conditions” under which the reaction
takes place.
Types Chemical reactions
1. Combination reactions : The reactions in which two or
more substances combine to form a single substance are
called combination reactions.
Example : CaO(s) + H 2 O(aq)  Ca (OH) 2 (s)
 A combination reaction may be an exothermic (or)
endothermic, may or may not be redox reaction.
N 2  3H2 2 NH3 (Combination, Exothermic, Redox)

N 2  O2  2 NO (Combination, Endothermic, Redox)

CaO  H2O  Ca OH 2 (Combination, Exothermic, Non redox)

2. Decomposition reactions : The reactions, in which
substances splits into two or more simple substances
are called decomposition reactions
Example : 2 Pb  NO3 2 s   2 PbO s   4 NO2  O2
 yellow residue 
 Decomposition reactions are always endothermic and may (or) may

not be redox reaction.


CaCO3   CaO  CO2 (Decomposition, Endothermic, Non redox)

2 AgCl 
uv
 2 Ag  Cl2 (Decomposition, Endothermic, Redox)
3. Displacement reactions:
The reaction in which a more reactive element replaces the less reactive
element form its aqueous solution
Example : Fe s  CuSO4 aq  FeSO4 aq   Cu s
 deposited on nail 
Zn s  CuSO4 aq  ZnSO4 aq  Cu s
 blue
 Displacement reactions are always exothermic and Redox reaction.

Zn  2 HCl  ZnCl2  H2 (Displacement, Exothermic, Redox)

4. Double displacement reactions:
A double displacement reaction is a type of chemical reaction where two
compounds react, and the positive ions (cation) and the negative ions (anion)
of the two reactants switch places, forming two new compounds or products.
Example : Pb  NO3  2 aq  2 KI  aq  PbI 2 s  2 KNO3 aq 
 yellow ppt 
 Double displacement reactions are not redox and either
endothermic (or) exothermic
H2 SO4  2 NaOH  Na2 SO4  2 H2O
(Exothermic, Non redox, Double displacement
Ba OH  2  NH4Cl  BaCl2  NH3  H2O
(Endothermic, Non redox, Double displacement)
5. Redox Reactions :
a) Oxidation : It is defined as a process which involves addition of
oxygen/Removal of Hydrogen/Loss of electrons/increase in
Oxidation number/addition of electronegative element
Example : 2Mg  O  2MgO
 s 2 g  s
Here, Mg has gained oxygen to form MgO. Hence, Mg has
been oxidized to MgO.
b) Reduction : It is defined as a process which involves addition of
Hydrogen/Removal of Oxygen/Gain of electrons/decrease
in Oxidation number/addition of electropositive element
Example ZnOs  Cs  Zns  CO g
Here, ZnO has lost oxygen to form Zn. Hence ZnO has
been reduced to Zn.
Effects of Oxidation :
The oxidation of any substance when exposed to open atmospheric
air is called aerial oxidation. Both rancidity and corrosion are result
of aerial oxidation.
Corrosion :
Step 1 : Metal + Oxygen Metal oxide
Step 2 : Metal Oxide + H2O/CO2/H2S Metal Hydroxide/carbonate/Sulphide
Rancidity :
The foods containing oil and fats marked by unpleasant smell and
taste due to aerial oxidation.
Rancidity : Oil/Fat + Oxygen  Lipid product/Rancid product.
Reaction involved : Oxidation.
Prevention of rancidity :
 By adding anti oxidants (Reducing agents)
Ex :- BHA, BHT
 By packing food in nitrogen gas
 By keeping food in refrigerator
 By storing food in air tight
containers
 Storing foods away from light