Representing Chemical Reactions:

Word and Chemical Equations

Learning Intention and Success Criteria

Learning Intention:
To learn how to represent chemical reactions using equations.

Success Criteria:
By the end of the lesson, I will be able to:

- Identify reactants and products

- Write a word equation
- Match chemical formula to its name
- Extension: Identify the elements present in compounds (indicated by their formula)
 Revision:
Chemical Reactions
When chemical reactions occur, chemical changes take place.

A chemical change, or chemical reaction, is when a substance is changed or converted into a new
substance.

The atoms (particles) in the substance are rearranged so that a new substance can be formed. The
new substance has different properties from the original.

The 5 signs of a chemical reaction are:

Production
Colour Temperature Gas Precipitate
or sound or
Change Change Produced Formed
light
Revision:
Chemical Reactions
Revision:
Chemical Reactions
■ A chemical reaction is a process in which one or more substances, the reactants, are
converted to one or more different substances, the products.

■ A chemical reaction can be shown by an equation that looks like this:

reactants products
2H2 + O2 2H2O
Representing Chemical Reactions Using Equations
Word Equations

Chemists often use word equations as a way of quickly informing us

what the reactants and products are in a reaction.

A word equation represents a chemical reaction using the names of

the substances involved.

Word equations do not show any chemical symbols or formulae.

Example 1:
Writing Word Equations
Ammonium chloride reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium chloride,
ammonia and water
Example 1:
Writing Word Equations
Ammonium chloride reacts with calcium hydroxide to form calcium chloride,
ammonia and water

Arrow shows that a chemical

reaction has occured

ammonium chloride + calcium hydroxide 🡪 calcium chloride + ammonia + water

Reactants Products
(substances we started the reaction (substances formed during a reaction),
with), always go on the left. always go to the right of the arrow.
Example 2:
Writing Word Equations
In many antacids, the active ingredient is magnesium hydroxide. Write the word
equation for when magnesium hydroxide reacts with hydrochloric acid, forming
water and magnesium chloride
Example 2:
Writing Word Equations
In many antacids, the active ingredient is magnesium hydroxide. Write the word
equation for when magnesium hydroxide reacts with hydrochloric acid, forming
water and magnesium chloride

Arrow shows that a chemical

reaction has occurred

magnesium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid 🡪 water+ magnesium chloride

Reactants Products
(substances we started the (substances formed during a
reaction with), always go on the reaction), always go to the right
left. of the arrow.
Activity 1:
Writing Word Equations

Write the word equation for the following reactions in your science book.

a) Sodium reacts with water to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas

b) Zinc nitrate and silver are produced when zinc reacts with silver nitrate

c) Aluminium sulfate and calcium chloride react to produce aluminium chloride and calcium sulfate

d) Lead sulfate and water are produced when hydrogen peroxide and lead sulfide react.

e) Calcium and hydrochloric acid react to form magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas

f) Copper sulfate and hydrogen gas are produced when copper metal reacts with sulfuric acid
Activity 1:
Writing Word Equations (ANSWERS)
Write the word equation for the following reactions in your science book.

a) sodium + water 🡪 sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

b) zinc + silver nitrate 🡪 zinc nitrate + silver

c) aluminium sulfate + calcium chloride 🡪 aluminium chloride + calcium sulfate

d) hydrogen peroxide + lead sulfide 🡪 lead sulfate + water

e) calcium + hydrochloric acid 🡪 magnesium chloride + hydrogen

Chemical Equations

Chemists often use chemical equations as a way of quickly informing

us what the reactants and products are in a reaction.

A chemical equation represents a chemical reaction using the

chemical formula/symbols of the substances involved.

Chemical equations do not use any words.

Chemical Equations: Example 1
Sodium reacts with water to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen
gas

Word equation: sodium + water 🡪 sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

Chemical equation: 2Na + 2H2O 🡪 2NaOH + H2

Activity 2:
Introduction to Chemical Formula
Match the words below to their chemical formula (hint: look at the elements they are made up of to help you)

Extension question:
What pattern do you notice about the names of the elements compared to the name of the compounds?
(hint: look at the non-metal/second half of the name)

Chemical Formula Name in words

NaCl zinc sulfide
Mg3N2 hydrogen gas
H2 potassium chloride
ZnS silver bromide
KCl magnesium nitride
AgBr sodium chloride
Activity 2:
Introduction to Chemical Formula (ANSWERS)
Extension question:
What pattern do you notice about the names of the elements compared to the name of the compounds?
• Element name ends in –ine (e.g. chlorine, bromine), compound name ends in –ide (e.g. chloride, bromide)
• Element sulfur ends in –ur but in a compound it becomes sulfide
• Element nitrogen but becomes nitride when it reacts with magnesium to form magnesium nitride

Chemical Formula Name in words

NaCl sodium chloride
Mg3N2 magnesium nitride
H2 hydrogen gas
ZnS zinc sulfide
KCl potassium chloride
AgBr silver bromide
Activity 3: Extension Activity
Looking at the formulae below, determine how many of each element (technically called
ions, but you will learn this in year 9) the compounds are made up of.

An example has been completed for you

Chemical Formula Composition
H2CO3
Mg3N2
H2O 2 x H, 1 x O
CO2
KCl

ZnBr2
Activity 3:
Extension Activity (ANSWERS)
Looking at the formulae below, determine how many of each element (technically called
ions, but you will learn this in year 9) the compounds are made up of.

An example has been completed for you

Chemical Formula Composition
H2CO3 2 x H, 1 x C, 3 x O
Mg3N2 3 x Mg, 2 x N
H2O 2 x H, 1 x O
CO2 1 x C, 2 x O
KCl 1 x K, 1 x Cl

ZnBr2 1 x Zn, 2 x Br
Extension Video:
Watch the following video, and note down the key points in your science book