CHM101: INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY 1

MODULE 1: Methods of Science

Lecture Four: Types of Chemical Reactions
Prepared by: Dr. I.O. Olabanji
Department of Chemistry
O.A.U, Ile-Ife.
What is Chemical Reaction?
A chemical reaction is the process in which reactants
react chemically and convert into products by chemica
transformation. For example;
In respiration, we inhale oxygen which reacts with
glucose and produces carbon dioxide, water and
energy. Reaction is given below;

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy

Characteristics of a Chemical Reaction
Chemical reactions show one or more than one of the
following characteristics
∙ Evolution of gas
∙ Change in color
∙ Change in temperature
∙ Change in energy
∙ Formation of precipitate
∙ Change in state
Evolution of Gas
Some chemical reactions take place with the
evolution of gas. For example, when zinc reacts
with hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas is evolved
with formation of zinc chloride.
Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl2 + H2
Change in Color
Some chemical reactions are accompanied by a
change in color. For example, when colorless
lead nitrate reacts with potassium iodide it forms
a yellow precipitate of lead iodide and colorless
potassium nitrate.
Pb(NO3) + 2KI → PbI2 + 2KNO3
Colorless Colorless Yellow ppt
Change in Temperature
Some chemical reactions are accompanied by
change in temperature. For example, some
reactions are exothermic in nature while some
are endothermic.
Change in Energy
Chemical reactions often involve change in
energy. During a chemical reaction, energy can
be evolved or absorbed. For example, in
combustion reactions energy is released such as
burning of a fuel.
Formation of Precipitate
Some chemical reactions are accompanied by formation
of precipitate. For example, barium chloride reacts with
sodium sulphate and forms sodium chloride and
precipitate of barium sulfate.

BaCl2 + Na2SO4 → BaSO4 + 2NaCl

precipitate
Change in State
Some chemical reactions are accompanied by
change in state. For example, ammonia gas reacts
with hydrogen chloride gas and forms solid
ammonium chloride crystals.
NH3 (g) + HCl(g) ↔ NH4Cl(s)
Types of Chemical Reactions
Chemical reactions are of many types.
∙ Decomposition reaction
∙ Combination reaction
∙ Combustion reaction
∙ Neutralization reaction
∙ Single displacement reaction
∙ Double displacement reaction
∙ Precipitation reaction
∙ Redox reaction
Decomposition Reaction
In decomposition reaction, molecules or compounds
break down into two or more than two simpler
chemically new substances. The general form of a
decomposition reaction is:
AB→A+B
For example, electrolysis of water. In electrolysis
of water, water breaks down into hydrogen and
oxygen which show completely different
properties than water.
2H2O electricity → 2H2 (g) + O2 (g)
Binary compounds are compounds composed of just two
elements. The simplest kind of decomposition reaction
is when a binary compound decomposes into its
elements. Mercury (II) oxide, a red solid, decomposes
when heated to produce mercury and oxygen gas.
2HgO(s) → 2Hg (l) + O2(g)
A reaction is also considered to be a decomposition
reaction even when one or more of the products is
still a compound. A metal carbonate decomposes
into a metal oxide and carbon dioxide gas. For
example, calcium carbonate decomposes into
calcium oxide and carbon dioxide.
CaCO3(s) → CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
Metal hydroxides decompose on heating to yield
metal oxides and water. Sodium hydroxide
decomposes to produce sodium oxide and water.
2NaOH(s) → Na2O(s) + H2O(g)
Combination Reaction
In combination reaction, two or more molecules are
combined together chemically to form a new substance
(compound). Combination and decomposition reactions
are opposite of each other. Combination reactions can also
be called synthesis reactions. The general form of a
combination reaction is:
A + B → AB
For example, when we burn magnesium ribbon (or
magnesium) it gives grey – black ash of magnesium oxide.

Mg(s) + O2 (g) →
MgO(s)

Solid sodium metal reacts with chlorine gas to produce solid

sodium chloride.
2Na(s) + Cl2 (g) →
2NaCl(s)
Combustion Reaction
It is an exothermic reaction which releases energy, generally in
the form of heat. A combustion reaction is a reaction in which
a substance reacts with oxygen gas, releasing energy in the
form of light and heat. Combustion reactions must
involve O2 as one reactant. The combustion of hydrogen gas
produces water vapor.
2H2 (g) + O2(g) → 2H2O(g)
Notice that this reaction also qualifies as a combination
reaction.
Many combustion reactions occur with a hydrocarbon,
a compound made up solely of carbon and hydrogen.
The products of the combustion of hydrocarbons are
always carbon dioxide and water. Many hydrocarbons
are used as fuel because their combustion releases very
large amount of heat energy. Propane (C3H8) is a
gaseous hydrocarbon that is commonly used as the fuel
source in gas grills.
C3H8 (g) + 5O2 (g)→ 3CO2(g) + 4H2O(g)
Neutralization Reaction
In these reactions acid and base reacts with each other
and form salt and water. For example, hydrochloric acid
reacts with sodium hydroxide (base) and forms sodium
chloride (salt) and water.
Single Displacement Reaction
In these reactions more reactive metal displaces less reactive
metal from its salt. In these reactions, products can be
determined through reactivity series. Reactivity series is a
series in which elements are arranged in decreasing order of
their reactivity. It means the elements present at the top of
this reactivity series are more reactive than the elements
present at the bottom.
A + BC → AC + B
In this general reaction, element A is a metal and replaces
element B, also a metal, in the compound.
Reaction of potassium with magnesium chloride is an
example of single displacement reaction. In this reaction,
potassium displaces magnesium from its salt because
potassium is more reactive than magnesium. Potassium is
present at the top of the reactivity series and is the most
reactive element.
2K + MgCl2 → 2KCl + Mg
When the element that is doing the replacing is a nonmetal, it
must replace another nonmetal in a compound, and the
general equation becomes:
Y + XZ → XY + Z

Y is a nonmetal and replaces the nonmetal Z in the

compound with X.
Magnesium is a more reactive metal than copper. When a
strip of magnesium metal is placed in an aqueous solution
of copper (II) nitrate, it replaces the copper. The products
of the reaction are aqueous magnesium nitrate and solid
copper metal.
Mg(s) + Cu (NO3)2(aq) → Mg(NO3)2(aq) + Cu(s)
Many metals react easily with acids, and, when they do so,
one of the products of the reaction is hydrogen gas. Zinc
reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce aqueous zinc
chloride and hydrogen.
Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) → ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)

Zinc metal reacts with hydrochloric acid to give off

hydrogen gas in a single-replacement reaction
Double displacement reaction – In these reactions two
aqueous ionic compounds exchange their ions (the positive
and negative ions) and produce two new compounds.
AB + CD → AD + CB
In this reaction, A and C are positively-charged cations,
while B and D are negatively-charged anions.
Double-replacement reactions generally occur between
substances in aqueous solution. In order for a reaction to
occur, one of the products is usually a solid precipitate, a gas,
or a molecular compound such as water.
For example potassium nitrate reacts with aluminum
chloride and forms aluminum nitrate and potassium
chloride.
KNO3 + AlCl3 → Al(NO3)3 + KCl
A precipitate forms in a double-replacement reaction when the
cations (positively charge ions) from one of the reactants
combine with the anions (negatively charge ions) from the
other reactant to form an insoluble ionic compound. When
aqueous solutions of potassium iodide and lead (II) nitrate are
mixed, the following reaction occurs.
2KI (aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) → 2KNO3(aq) + PbI2(s)
2K+ (aq) + 2I-(aq) + Pb2+(aq) + 2NO3- (aq) → 2KNO3(aq) +
PbI2(s)
When a few drops of lead (II) nitrate are added
to a solution of potassium iodide, a yellow
precipitate of lead (II) iodide immediately forms
in a double-replacement reaction
Precipitation Reaction
In these reactions an insoluble precipitate is formed. In
precipitation reactions, two soluble salts in aqueous
solutions are combined and form an insoluble precipitate.

AgNO3 (aq) + KCl(aq) → AgCl(s) + KNO3(aq)

Redox Reaction
Those chemical reactions in which oxidation and reduction
take place simultaneously are called redox reactions.
Oxidation is the addition of oxygen while reduction is the
addition of hydrogen (or removal of oxygen).If one species
gets oxidized, other must have been reduced in order to
complete the reaction. So, both reactions shown combined
are called redox reactions.
Example:
Zn(s)+CuSO4(aq) → ZnSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
When metallic Zinc is allowed to react with aqueous solution
of Copper sulfate, Zinc sulfate and copper metal are obtained
as a product. From the equation,

∙ Zn metal has higher oxidation potential than Copper, so it

can oxidize itself and reduce copper from its solution to
metallic state.
∙ Here Zn is oxidized from 0 to +2 oxidation state and Cu is reduced from +2 to 0 oxidation
state.
Additional information :
∙ In the oxidation reaction, species lose the electrons.
∙ In reduction reaction, species gain the electrons.
∙ Reducing agents are the species that undergo oxidation and reduce other species.
∙ Oxidizing agents are the species that undergo reduction and oxidize other species.
∙ Oxidation potential expresses the ability of the compound to get oxidized and reducing
potential expresses the ability of the compound to get reduced. Oxidation potential and
reduction potential are opposite to each other.
 Reference
• Raymond Chang (2002). Chemistry.McGraw- Hill
Higher Education