Chemical Reactions

Chemical Reactions
All chemical reactions involve
changes in substances
Reactants – starting substances
Products – new substances formed
Reactants  Products
Example:
Iron + Oxygen  Iron (III)
oxide
(Rust)
In all chemical reactions:

Bonds are broken and new bonds

form
Law of Conservation of matter is
supported
Atoms are not created or destroyed – just
rearranged
During an ordinary chemical change,
there is no detectable increase or
decrease in the quantity of matter
Symbols in Chemical Reactions
+ used to separate two products
or reactants
 yields
(s) subscript – represents a solid
(l) subscript – represents a liquid
(aq) subscript – represents an
aqueous solution
(g) subscript – represents a gas
Symbols (cont.)
replaces (s) to represent a
precipitate

replaces (g) to represent a

gas
Symbols (cont.)

Fe indicates the use of a catalyst

(in this case iron)
heat or Δ indicates that
heat is supplied to the reaction
Examples:
Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq)  H2 + MgCl2(aq)
2H2O2(l) KI O2(g) + 2H2O(l)
Pb(NO3)2 (aq) + 2KI(aq)  PbI2(s) + 2KNO3 (aq)
Chemical Equations
Use formulas to represent
elements and compounds
Atoms must balance on both sides
of the equation
Atom inventories are helpful
Rules for Balancing Chemical
Equations
Determine the correct formulas for all
reactants and products in the reaction
Reactants go on the left side of the equation
Products on the right side of the equation
Count the atoms of each element in the
reactants and products
Balance the elements one at a time by
changing the coefficients (NOT subscripts)
Balancing Equations (cont.)
Tricks that help
Save uncombined elements for last
Use least common multiple to
balance elements that have odd and
even atoms on opposite sides
Remember polyatomic ions often
remain intact in a reaction count
them as a single part
Write water as HOH in acid/base
reactions
Balancing Equations (cont.)
Check each atom or polyatomic
ion to be sure that both sides are
equal
Make sure coefficients are in the
lowest possible ratio
Now lets practice!
Potassium chlorate is heated and
breaks down into potassium
chloride and oxygen gas – Write the
balanced equation for this reaction.
Hydrochloric acid reacts with zinc to
produces hydrogen gas and zinc
chloride solution, write the chemical
equation for this reaction.
Bellwork 1/12/24
Balance the equation for the
combustion reaction:
C3H8O + O2  CO2 + H2O
5 Types of Chemical Reactions
Synthesis (combination)
Decomposition
Single Replacement
Double Replacement
Acid/Base Neutralization
Combustion
Synthesis Reactions
Two or more substances react to
form a single substance
Two or more simple compounds
combine to form a more
complicated one
Examples of Synthesis
Reactions
2Mg(s) + O2(g)  2MgO(s)

8Fe(s) + S8(s)  8 FeS(s)

Decomposition Reactions
A single compound is broken down
into two or more simpler
substances

a complex molecule breaks down

to make simpler ones
Examples of Decomposition
Reactions
2 H2O (l)  2H2(g) + O2(g)

2KClO3(s)  2KCl(s) + 3O2(g)

CaCO3(s)  CaO(s) + CO2(g)
Single Replacement Reactions
Atoms of an element replace the
atoms of a second element in a
compound
Element 1+ Compound 1 Element 2 +
Compound 2
Examples of Single
Replacement Reactions

Al(s) + NiSO4(aq)  Al2(SO4)3(aq) + Ni(s)

Fe(s) + HBr (aq)  FeBr3 (aq) + H2(g)
Cl2(g) + KI(aq)  KCl(aq) + I2(s)
Double Replacement Reactions
Involves the exchange of the
positive ions between two
compounds
Also called metathesis
Examples of Double
Replacement Reactions

CaCl2 (aq) + K2CO3 (aq)  CaCO3 (s) + 2KCl(aq)

3AgNO3 (aq) + FeCl3 (aq)  3AgCl(s) + Fe(NO3)3

(aq)
Combustion Reactions
Oxygen reacts with another
substance usually producing
energy in the form of heat and/or
light
Examples of Combustion
Reactions
CH4(g) + O2(g) ---> CO2(g) + H2O(g) + heat

C2H6(g) + O2(g) ---> CO2(g) + H2O(g) + heat

C6H12O6(s) + O2(g) ---> CO2(g) + H2O(g) +

heat

C2H5OH(l) + O2(g) ---> CO2(g) + H2O(g) +

heat
Acids and Bases
A special type of double
replacement reaction.
We will come back to these
specifically when we do acids and
bases.
Acid/Base Reactions
acid with a base produces a salt
plus water

The cation in the salt comes from

the base; the anion comes from
the acid
Examples of Acid/Base
Reactions

HCl (aq) + Ca(OH)2 (aq)  CaCl2 (aq) + H2O

(l)
Acid + Base  Salt +
Water
H2SO4(aq) + Fe(OH)3(s) Fe2(SO4)3(aq)+
H2O(l)
Acid + Base  Salt +
Water
Predicting reaction products
Determine the reaction type to
predict the products

Ca + H2O  ??

Identify the reaction type to

predict the products.
Predicting reaction products
Ca + H2O  ??

Sometimes it helps to write water

as HOH
Reactivity series
Reactivity Trend
Ca + HOH  ?

Single replacement reaction

Ca replaces H

Ca(s) + 2HOH(l) ➔ Ca(OH)2(s) +

H2
Predicting reaction products
HCl(aq) + Mg(s) 

MgCl2(aq) + Cu(s) 

CuCl2(aq) + Fe(s) 

Do these reactions take place?

Bellwork 1/24/24
Predict the reaction products THEN
decide if the reactions happen

Fe(s) + AgNO3(aq) 

FeCl3(aq) + Ba(s) 

AlBr3(aq) + Cl2(g) 
 Predicting reaction products
H2(g) + Cl2(g) ➔ ??

Combination reaction

Product is HCl

H2(g) + Cl2(g) ➔ 2HCl(g)

Predicting combination reactions
Ca(s) + Cl2(g) ➔

Al(s) + O2(g) 
Predicting reaction products
Cl2O5(g) ➔ ???
Single reactant – must decompose
Products will be simpler
compounds or elements

2Cl2O5(g) ➔ 2Cl2(g) + 5O2(g)

Predicting reaction products
C2H6(g) + O2(g) ➔ ??
Hydrocarbon plus oxygen =
combustion reaction. Products are
carbon dioxide and water.

2C2H6(g) + 5O2(g) ➔ 6H2O(l) +

4CO2(g)
Predicting reaction products
Write and balance the equation for
the combustion of Heptane (C7H16)
Predicting reaction products
HBr(aq) + NaOH(aq) ➔ ??

An acid and a base = neutralization

reaction.
Products are a salt and water (write
water as HOH to see the hydroxide
ion)
HBr(aq) + NaOH(aq) ➔ NaBr(aq) + HOH(l)
Predicting reaction products

CuCl2(aq) + AgNO3(aq) ➔ ??

Two aqueous ionic reactants 

An ionic precipitate or a covalent
compound
If neither of these form, no
reaction took place!
Formation of a solid precipitate (PPT)
CuCl2(aq) +2AgNO3(aq)➔ 2AgCl(s)
+Cu(NO3)2(aq)

Formation of a covalent compound

HBr(aq) + NaOH(aq) ➔ NaBr(aq) + HOH(l)
Solubility rules
Use solubility rules to predict the
solid product when a double
replacement reaction yields a
precipitate.
Solubility rules
Salts of alkali metals and ammonia
are usually soluble
Exceptions – some lithium
compounds

Nitrate salts and chlorate salts are

usually soluble.
Few exceptions
Solubility rules
Sulfate salts are usually soluble
Exceptions compounds of Pb, Ag, Hg,
Ba, Sr and Ca

Chloride salts are usually soluble

Exceptions Compounds of Ag and Pb
Solubility rules
Carbonates, phosphates,
chromates, sulfides and
hydroxides are usually insoluble
Exceptions - compounds of the alkali
metals and of ammonium ions.
Solubility Table
Net Ionic Equations
Ionic reactions take place in
aqueueous solutions
Net ionic equations show only the
reactants and products that
change during the reaction
 Net Ionic Equations
First write the, balanced, formula
equation and determine which
products are molecules or insoluble
2 AgNO3 (aq)+K2CrO4 (aq) →Ag2CrO4 (s)+2 KNO3 (aq)
 Full Ionic Equation
Then write the ionic equation by showing the
ions for the aqueous compounds (when
dissolved in water, ionic compounds come
apart)
2 Ag+(aq)+ 2 NO3-(aq)+ 2 K+(aq) + CrO42-(aq)→

Ag2CrO4 (s) + 2K+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq)

Note the solid or molecule does NOT
come apart into ions.
This is called a full ionic equation.
 Net Ionic Equations
Then cancel “spectator” ions (ions
that are the same on both sides of the
equation)
2 Ag+(aq)+ 2 NO3-(aq)+ 2 K+(aq) + CrO42-(aq)→

Ag2CrO4 (s) + 2K+(aq) + 2 NO3-(aq)

Net Ionic Equations
Eliminate “spectator” ions.
What is left is the net ionic
equation
2 Ag+(aq) + CrO42-(aq) → Ag2CrO4 (s)
 Net ionic equations
Write the net ionic equation for the
reaction of Sodium chloride with lead II
nitrate.
Balanced equation
First write the balanced equation
showing which compounds are
soluble.

2NaCl(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) 
2NaNO3(aq) + PbCl2(s)
Full ionic equation
Then write the full ionic equation
by showing how the ionic
compounds separate into ions in
solution
2Na+(aq) +2Cl-(aq) +Pb+2 (aq)+2NO3-(aq)
 2Na+(aq) +2NO3-(aq) + PbCl2(s)
Net ionic equation
Cross out the spectator ions
2Na+(aq)+2Cl-(aq) + Pb+2 (aq)+2NO3-(aq)

2Na+(aq) +2NO3-(aq) +
PbCl2(s)
Net ionic equation
What is left is the net ionic
equation
2Cl-(aq) + Pb+2 (aq)  PbCl2(s)
Predict the products and determine if the
reaction takes placeBellwork 1/25/24Predict the
products

Sr(s) + N2(g) 

BaCl2(aq) + Zn(s) 
(Does this reaction take place?)

Al(NO3)3(aq) + NaOH 
(does this reaction take place?)
Write the net ionic equations
MgSO4(aq) + Ba(OH)2(aq) 

Fe(NO3)3(aq) + NaCl(aq) 

NaOH(aq) + H2S(aq) 