Chemical Reactions

Foods we eat and digest, plastics around us, fibers in our clothes, exercising, all
have something in common. Foods, plastics, fibers, and exercising are produced
when atoms in substances are rearranged from different substances.
The process by which the atoms of one or more substances are rearranged to form
different substances is called a chemical reaction.
Chemical reactions affect every part of our life. They break down the food we
consume to produce the energy we need to live.
Chemical reactions in the engines of cars and buses provide the energy to power
the vehicles.
Chemical reactions produce natural fibers as cotton and wool, in plants and
animals. In factories, they produce synthetic fibers as nylon.
 Evidences of a Chemical Reaction

Temperature Production of
Color Change
Change Light

Effervescence Precipitation

Some chemical reactions are hard to detect; however, many reactions provide
physical evidence that they have occurred.
A temperature change can indicate a chemical reaction.

Burning of wood releases energy in the form of heat and light. Other chemical
reactions absorb heat.
One indication of a chemical reaction is a color change. For, example the color of
some iron nails that are left outside changes from silver to orange- brown in a short
time. The color change is evidence that a chemical reaction occurred between the
iron in the nail and the oxygen in the air.

A banana changing from green to yellow is another example of a color change

indicating that a chemical reaction has occurred.

Another indication of a chemical reaction is odor. For example, the smell of

rotting of eggs, that have a different odor from fresh eggs. During the process of
rotting, chemical reactions take place and the eggs’ composition changes.
Effervescence or the evolution of gas bubbles is another indication that a chemical
reaction has taken place. For example, the evolution of gas bubbles when dropping
an antacid in a glass of water.

Formation of a solid substance called a precipitate is one more indication that a

chemical reaction has taken place. For example, upon mixing an aqueous solution
of silver nitrate and an aqueous solution of sodium chloride, a solid precipitate of
silver chloride will be formed that is insoluble in water.
Representing Chemical Reactions

Chemists use statements called equations to represent chemical reactions.

Equations show the reactants and the products. The reactants are the starting
substances of a chemical reaction and the products are the substances formed
during the chemical reaction.

Chemical reactions do not show numerical equalities as mathematical equations do

because during a chemical reaction the reactants are used up as the products form.
The equations used by chemists show the direction in which the reaction progresses.
Therefore, an arrow is used rather than the equal sign to separate the reactants from
the products. The arrow is read as react to produce or yield.
The reactants are written to the left of the arrow, and the products are written to the
right of the arrow.
If we have 2 or more reactants or products, a plus sign is used to separate each
reactant or each product.
These elements of equation notation are shown below.

Reactant 1 + Reactant 2 → Product 1 + Product 2

In equations, symbols are used to show the physical states of the reactants and
products (solid, liquid, or gas). When they are dissolved in water, they are said to be
aqueous.
It is very important to show the physical states of the reactants and products in an
equation as the physical states provide clues about how the reaction occurs.
 ✓ Word Equations:
Statements called word equations are used to indicate the reactants and products of
chemical reactions.

Reactant 1 + Reactant 2 → Product 1

Aluminum (s) + bromine (l) → aluminum bromide (s)
The equation above describes the reaction between aluminum (Al) and bromine
(Br). Aluminum is a solid and bromine is a liquid, the reaction’s product is solid
particles of aluminum bromide (AlBr3).
The word equation reads, “Aluminum and bromine reacts to produce (yield)
aluminum bromide”.
✓ Skeleton Equations:
Word equations help to describe chemical reactions; however, they lack important
information. A skeleton equation uses chemical formulas rather than words to
identify the reactants and the products.

Al(s) + Br2 (l) → AlBr3 (s)

The above skeleton equation is for the reaction between aluminum and bromine
uses the formulas for aluminum, bromine, and aluminum bromide in place of
words.
 ✓ Chemical Equations:
Like word equations, skeleton equations lack some information about chemical
reactions.
The law of conservation of mass states that in a chemical change, matter is neither
created nor destroyed. Chemical equations must show that matter is conserved
during a chemical reaction.

The skeleton equation for the reaction between aluminum and bromine shows that
one aluminum atom and two bromine atoms react to produce a substance containing
one aluminum atom and three bromine atoms.
A bromine atom was not created in the chemical reaction. Atoms are not created in
chemical reactions, to show accurately what really happens, more information must
be added.
According to the law of conservation of mass, the equation must show equal
numbers of atoms of each reactant and each product on both sides of the arrow.
Such equation is called a balanced chemical equation.
Chemical equation is a statement that uses chemical formulas to show the
identities and relative amounts of the substances involved in a chemical reaction.
Balancing Chemical Equations

2 Al(s) + 3 Br2 (l) → 2 AlBr3 (s)

The above is the balanced equation for the reaction between aluminum and bromine
reflects the law of conservation of mass.
To balance an equation, you must find the correct coefficients for the chemical
formulas in the skeleton equation.
Coefficient in a chemical equation is the number written in front of a reactant or a
product. Coefficients are usually whole numbers and are not written if the value is
one. In a balanced chemical equation, they describe the lowest whole number ratio
of the amounts of all the reactants and products.
Steps for Balancing Chemical Equations

Step Process
1 Write the skeleton equation for the reaction with the correct formulas
representing the substances.
Use an arrow to separate the reactants from the products, and a plus
sign to separate multiple reactants and products.
Show the physical states of all reactants and products.
2 Count the atoms of the elements in the reactants. If a reaction involves
identical polyatomic ions in the reactants and products, count each
polyatomic ion as whole single element.
3 Count the atoms of the elements in the product.
4 Change the coefficients to make the number of atoms of each element
equal on both sides of the equation.
5 Write the coefficients in their lowest possible ratio.
6 Check your work, make sure that the chemical formulas are written
correctly. Then, check that the number of atoms of each element is
equal on both sides of the equation.
 Types of Chemical Reactions

Chemists classify chemical reactions to hep remember and understand them, as well
as, recognizing patterns and predicting the products of any chemical reactions.
One-way chemists classify reactions is to distinguish among the four types:

Synthesis Combustion Decomposition

Replacement

Synthesis Reactions
A chemical reaction in which two or more substances (A and B) react to produce a
single product AB.
When two elements react, the reaction is always a synthesis reaction.

In this synthesis reaction, two elements, sodium and chlorine, react to produce
one compound, sodium chloride.
Two compounds can also combine to form one compound. For example, the
reaction between calcium oxide (CaO) and water (H2O) to form calcium hydroxide
(Ca(OH)2) is a synthesis reaction.

Combustion Reactions
In a combustion reaction, oxygen combines with a substance and releases energy in
the form of heat and light.
Oxygen can combine in this way with many different substances, making
combustion reactions common. One important combustion reaction occurs when
coal is burned to produce energy.
Heated hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce heat and water in a combustion
reaction, seen below. This is also a synthesis reaction.

Note that the combustion reaction just mentioned is also a synthesis reaction.
However, not all combustion reactions are synthesis reactions. For example, the
reaction involving methane gas ( 𝐂𝐇𝟒 ) and oxygen where methane burns in
oxygen to yield carbon dioxide and water.

Methane, which belongs to a group of substances called hydrocarbons, is the major

component of natural gas. All hydrocarbons contain carbon and hydrogen and burn
in oxygen to yield carbon dioxide and water.

Decomposition Reactions
Some chemical reactions are essentially the opposite of synthesis reactions. These
reactions are classified as decomposition reactions.
A decomposition reaction is one in which a single compound breaks down into two
or more elements or new compounds.

Decomposition reactions often require an energy source, such as heat, light, or

electricity, to occur.
For example, ammonium nitrate breaks down into dinitrogen monoxide and water
when the reactant is heated at high temperature.

Notice that this decomposition reaction involves one reactant breaking down into
more than one product.

Replacement Reactions
In contrast to synthesis, combustion, and decomposition reactions, many chemical
reactions are replacement reactions and involve the replacement of an element in a
compound. These reactions are also called replacement reactions.
There are two types of replacement reactions: single- replacement reactions and
double- replacement reactions.

✓ Single- Replacement Reactions

A reaction in which the atoms of one element replace the atoms of another element
in a compound.

Metal replaces hydrogen or another metal

The reaction between lithium and water is one type of single- replacement reaction,
in which a metal replaces a hydrogen atom in a water molecule.

Another type of single- replacement reaction occurs when one metal replaces
another metal in a compound dissolved in water.
A metal will not always replace a metal in a compound dissolved in water because
of differing reactivities.
An activity series can be used to predict if reactions will occur. This series orders
metals by reactivity with other metals. The most active metals are at the top of the
list and the least active metals are at the bottom.

Halogens frequently replace other halogens in replacement reactions. Halogens

also have different reactivities and do not always replace each other.
You can use the activity series to predict whether certain reactions will occur.
A specific metal can replace any metal listed below it that is in a compound. It
cannot replace any metal listed above it.
For example, copper atoms replace silver atoms in a solution of silver nitrate.
However, if you place a silver wire in aqueous copper (II) nitrate, the silver atoms
will not replace the copper. Silver is listed below copper in the activity series, so
no reaction occurs. The letters NR (no reaction) are commonly used to indicate
that a reaction will not occur.
Nonmetal replaces metal
A third type of single- replacement reaction involves the replacement of nonmetal
in a compound by another metal.
Halogens are frequently involved in these types of reactions.
The most active halogen is fluorine, and the least active is iodine.

A more reactive halogen replaces a less reactive halogen that is part of a compound
dissolved in water.

✓ Double- Replacement Reactions

Double replacement reactions occur when ions exchange between two compounds.
This figure shows a generic double replacement equation.
In the generic equation A and B represent a positively charged ions (cations), and
X and Y represent negatively charged ions (anions). Notice that the anions have
switched places and are now bonded to the other cations in the reaction. On other
words, X replaces Y and Y replaces X- a double replacement. More simply, the
positive and negative ions of two compounds switch places.

The reaction between calcium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid is a double-

replacement reaction.
The ionic components of the reaction are Ca2+ , OH-, H+, and Cl-. The anions OH-
and Cl- have changed places and are now bonded to the other cations Ca2+ and H+.
Products of double- replacement reactions
One of the key characteristics of double- replacement reactions is the type of
product that is formed when the reaction takes place. All double replacement
reactions produce either water, a precipitate, or a gas.
Guidelines for Writing double- Replacement Reactions.

Predicting Products of a Chemical Reaction

The table above summarizes the various types of chemical reactions, the table can
be used to help you organize the reactions, so you can identify each and predict its
products.