CHEMISTRY GRADE 9
Compound Molecular Mass ratio of Ratio of Oxygen
formula N to O (N:O) in the oxides
Dinitrogen monoxide N2O
Nitrogen monoxide NO
Dinitrogen trioxide N 2 O3
Nitrogen dioxide NO2
Dinitrogen pentoxide N 2 O5
Exercise 4.1
Give appropriate answers for the following questions.
1. Classify the following as chemical or physical changes:
a the souring of tella b freezing ice cream
c plant growth d boiling of an egg
e heating sugar f fermentation
g the magnetization of iron h the fading of dye in cloth
2. Iron and chlorine form two compounds, A and B. Compound A contains 1.27
g of chlorine for each 1 g of iron whereas compound B contains 1.9 g of
chlorine for each 1 g of iron. Show that the masses of chlorine are in the ratio
2:3. Do they obey the law of multiple proportions? Explain.
3. Consider the following two chemical changes:
i) When a material made of iron rusts, its mass increases.
ii) When a match stick burns, its mass decreases.
Do you think that these two observations violate the law of conservation of
mass? Explain.
Critical Thinking
4. Discuss how the law of conservation of matter is explained by Dalton’s atomic
theory.
4.3 CHEMICAL EQUATIONS
Competencies
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
• describe the conventions used to write chemical equations;
• balance chemical equations, using the inspection method;
102
CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND STOICHIOMETRY
• balance chemical equations, using the Least-Common-Multiple (LCM) method.
Activity 4.5
Form a group and discuss each of the following:
1. What is the difference between a chemical equation and a chemical reaction?
2. Which law is satisfied when a chemical equation is balanced? Take a simple chemical
reaction to illustrate this law.
Present your conclusion to the class.
A chemical equation is a shorthand representation of a chemical reaction in terms of
chemical symbols and formulas. In a chemical equation the starting substances are
called reactants; and the new substances produced are known as products.
Reactants are written on the left side and products on the right side of the equation.
An arrow (→) is placed between the two sides to indicate transformation of reactants
into products.
Reactants Æ products
4.3.1 Writing Chemical Equation
In writing chemical equation, instead of using words, chemical symbols and formulas
are used to represent the reaction.
Steps to Write a Chemical Equation
1. Write a word equation: A word equation is stated in words. For example, the
word equation for the reaction between sodium and chlorine to produce sodium
chloride is written as:
Sodium + Chlorine Æ Sodium chloride (word equation)
Note that we read the ' + ' sign as 'reacts with' and the arrow can be read as
'to produce', 'to form', 'to give' or 'to yield'.
2. Write the symbols and formulas for the reactants and products in the word
equation.
Na + Cl2 Æ NaCl (Chemical equation)
3. Balance the equation.
2Na + Cl2 Æ 2NaCl
103
CHEMISTRY GRADE 9
Generally, any chemical equation must fulfil the following conditions:
i) The equation must represent a true and possible chemical reaction.
ii) The symbols and formulas must be written correctly. The elements– hydrogen,
nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine exist as diatomic
molecules. These elements should be written as molecules in the equation.
iii) The equation must be balanced.
A chemical equation has both qualitative and quantitative meanings.
Qualitatively, a chemical equation indicates the types of the reactants and products
in the reaction.
Quantitatively, a chemical equation expresses the relative number (amount)
of moles, molecules or masses of the reactants and products.
4.3.2 Balancing Chemical Equation
Which should be adjusted in balancing a chemical equation, the subscripts or
the coefficients?
According to the law of conservation of mass, atoms are neither created nor
destroyed during a chemical reaction. As a result, the number of atoms of each
element should remain the same before and after the reaction. Therefore, the main
reason why all chemical equations must be balanced is just to obey the law of
conservation of mass.
To balance a chemical equation means to equalize the number of atoms on both sides
of the equation by putting appropriate coefficients in front of the formulas.
Only two methods of balancing chemical equations will be discussed under this topic.
These are the inspection and the Least Common Multiple (LCM) method.
1. The Inspection Method
Most simple chemical equations can be balanced using this method. Balancing an
equation by inspection means to adjust coefficients by trial and error until the equation
is balanced. Follow the following four steps to balance the chemical equation.
Step 1: Write the word equation.
Step 2: Write the correct symbols or formulas for the reactants and products.
Step 3: Place the smallest whole number coefficients in front of the symbols or
formulas until the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides
of the equation.
104
CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND STOICHIOMETRY
Step 4: Checking: By counting the number of atoms on both sides of the equation,
make sure that the atoms of all elements are balanced and also the
coefficients are expressed as the smallest whole number ratio.
Note:
When you balance an equation, do not change any symbol or formula of any compound.
If you change a symbol or formula, it no longer represents the element or compound
required by the equation.
Example 1
Balance the equation for the reaction between magnesium and oxygen to
produces magnesium oxide.
Solution:
Step 1: Magnesium + Oxygen Æ Magnesium oxide
Step 2: Mg + O2 Æ MgO (unbalanced)
Step 3: Put coefficients to balance the equation
• Oxygen is not balanced. There are two oxygen atoms on the left side and
one on the right side. Hence, place the coefficient 2 in front of MgO.
Mg + O2 Æ 2MgO (unbalanced)
• Now Mg is not balanced. There is one Mg on the left side and two on the
right side. Thus, place the coefficient 2 in front of Mg.
2Mg + O2 Æ 2MgO (balanced)
Step 4: Checking: There are two Mg and two O atoms on each side of the
equation. Therefore, the equation is correctly balanced.
2Mg + O2 Æ 2MgO
Exercise 4.2
Balance the following chemical equation, using the inspection method:
1. Na + H2O Æ NaOH + H2
2. CaCO3 Æ CaO + CO2
3. H2O2 Æ H2O + O2
4. Al + H3PO4 Æ AlPO4 + H2
5. HNO3 + H2S Æ NO + S + H2O
105
CHEMISTRY GRADE 9
2. The LCM Method
In the LCM method, the coefficients for the balanced chemical equation are obtained
by taking the LCM of the total valency of reactants and products and then dividing it
by total valency of reactants and products. All the necessary steps to balance a
chemical equation by the LCM method, are shown by the following examples.
Example 2
When aluminium reacts with oxygen, aluminium oxide is formed. Write
the balanced chemical equation for the reaction.
Solution:
Step 1: Represent the reaction by a word equation.
Aluminium + Oxygen Æ Aluminium oxide
Step 2: Change the words to symbols and formulas for the reactants and
products.
Al + O2 Æ Al2O3
Step 3: Place the total valency of each atom above it.
3 4 6 6
Al + O 2 Æ Al 2 O 3
Now the equation shows
• The valency of aluminium as 3.
• The total valency of oxygen is 2 × 2 = 4.
• The total valency of aluminium in Al2O3 is 3 × 2 = 6.
• The total valency of oxygen in Al2O3 is 2 × 3 = 6.
Step 4: Find the LCM of each total valency and place it above the arrow.
3 4 6 6
12
Al + O 2
L.C.M → Al 2 O3
Step 5: Divide the LCM by each total valency number to obtain the coefficients
for each of the reactants and products. Place the obtained coefficients
in front of the respective formulas.
4Al + 3O2 Æ 2Al2O3 (balanced)
Checking: There are 4 aluminium and 6 oxygen atoms on both sides of the
equation. Hence, the chemical equation is correctly balanced.
106
CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND STOICHIOMETRY
Example 3
When iron reacts with water, iron (III) oxide and hydrogen are produced.
Write the balanced equation.
Solution:
Step 1: Iron + water Æ Iron (III) oxide + hydrogen.
Step 2: Fe + H2O Æ Fe2O3 + H2
3 2 2 6 6 2
Step 3: Fe + H 2 O Æ Fe 2 O 3 + H 2
3 2 2 6 6 2
Step 4: Fe + H 2 O 6
L.C.M
→ Fe2 O3 + H 2
Step 5: 2Fe + 3H2O Æ Fe2O3 + 3H2 (balanced)
Checking: There are 2 iron, 6 hydrogen, and 3 oxygen atoms on each side
of the equation. Thus, the equation is balanced.
Example 4
The reaction of ammonium sulphate with aluminium nitrate would form aluminium
sulphate and ammonium nitrate.
Solution:
Step 1: Ammonium sulphate + Aluminium nitrate → Aluminium sulphate +
Ammonium nitrate
Step 2: (NH4)2SO4 + Al(NO3)3 —→ Al2(SO4)3 + NH4NO3
2 2 3 3 6 6 1 1
Step 3: (N H4)2 SO4 + Al(NO3)3 —→ Al2(SO4)3 + NH4NO3
2 2 3 3 6 6 1 1
Step 4: (NH4)2 SO4 + A l(NO3)3 6
L.C.M
→ Al2(SO4)3 + NH4NO3
Step 5: 3(NH4)2SO4 + 2Al(NO3)3 —→ Al2(SO4)3 + 6NH4NO3 (balanced)
Checking: There are 12 nitrogen, 24 hydrogen, 3 sulphur, 30 oxygen and 2 aluminium
atoms on both sides of the equation. Thus, the equation is correctly balanced.
Exercise 4.3
1. Write the balanced chemical equation to represent the following reactions.
a Sulphur dioxide reacts with oxygen to produce sulphur trioxide.
b Potassium chlorate when heated produces potassium chloride and oxygen.
107
CHEMISTRY GRADE 9
c Sodium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid to form water, carbon
dioxide and sodium chloride.
d Silver oxide decomposes to silver and oxygen gas.
2. Balance the following equations by the LCM method.
a PCl5 + H2O —→ H3PO4 + HCl
b Mg + H2O —→ Mg(OH)2 + H2
c Zn(NO3)2 —→ ZnO + NO2 + O2
d H2SO4 + NaOH —→ Na2SO4 + H2O
e NH3 + O2 —→ NO + H2O
4.4 ENERGY CHANGES IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Competencies
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• explain energy changes in chemical reactions;
• define endothermic and exothermic reactions;
• describe endothermic and exothermic reactions;
• illustrate endothermic and exothermic reactions using diagrams;
• conduct simple experiment to demonstrate exothermic and endothermic reactions;
• describe the importance of chemical changes in production of new substances
and energy.
Activity 4.6
Form a group and discuss each of the following phenomena:
When the bread baked, does the bread absorb or release heat energy? Justify your answer.
Present your conclusion to the class.
Almost all chemical reactions are accompanied by energy changes. These energy
changes could be in the form of heat energy, light energy, electrical energy, and so on.
108
