Chemical reaction

EVIDENCES FOR CHEMICAL REACTIONS

 color change
 formation of a precipitate,
 formation of a gas (bubbling)
 odor change,
 temperature change

Formation of precipitate
SYMBOLS USED IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS

+ plus or add :
to indicate reactants combined and products formed.

 : to indicate yields or produces

Reactants
Reactants Products What you start with…
the left side of the
 : Reaction is reversible equation.
Reactants are
sometimes called
(s) = solid
(l) = liquid reagents.
(g) = gas
(aq) = aqueous = Dissolved in
water, solution. Products
What you finish with…
the right side of the
equation
 Chemical Equation
Example:
The reaction between hydrogen and oxygen
Hydrogen and oxygen react together to give
water.

word equation:
Hydrogen + oxygen  water

symbol equation
H2 + O2  H2O
When carbon is heated in oxygen, they react
together to form carbon dioxidae. Carbon and
oxygen are the reactants. Carbon dioxide is the
product. You could show the reaction using a
diagram, like this
word equation:
carbon + oxygen  carbon dioxide

symbol
equation
Coefficients and subscripts in Chemical Reactions

IMPORTANT !
!Coefficients are numbers placed in front of each
molecule or atom and are used to balance
equations.
 Symbol equations must be balanced
When balancing an equation, ONLY the coefficients
can be changed.
NEVER change the subscripts.
Changing the subscripts changes the compound.