HOW CHEMICAL CHANGES TAKES PLACE

Seven Things That Indicate a Chemical Change Is Occurring

By Rebekah Brooks; Updated April 28, 2018

Gas Bubbles Appear

Gas bubbles appear after a chemical reaction has occurred and the mixture becomes saturated with gas. The
chemical change that creates the gas is completed after the gas bubbles leave the mixture. Examples of this type
of reaction are when an antacid is dropped in a glass of water and begins to bubble or when boiling water
bubbles.
Formation of a Precipitate

A solid, known as a precipitate, that forms after two solutions are mixed is also a sign of a chemical change.
The precipitate will sometimes fall to the bottom of the container or it may remain suspended in the mixture and
make the mixture cloudy. An example of a precipitate formation is when magnesium and calcium oxides mix
with water in plumbing and form deposits that clog the pipes.
Color Change

Each chemical compound has a characteristic color. When the compound changes during a chemical reaction,
the color may change as well. A color change does not always indicate that a chemical change has occurred
since there are other factors that can contribute to a change in color. An example of a color change due to a
chemical reaction is when a half eaten apple turns brown after it has been exposed to the air.
Temperature Change

Energy is required to break and form chemical bonds. Chemical reactions that involve bond-breaking tend to
absorb energy from the surroundings, making the surroundings cooler. Chemical reactions that involve making
bonds release energy, which makes the surroundings hotter. An example of a temperature change in a chemical
reaction is when a burning fire produces heat.
Production of Light

When energy is released due to a chemical change it sometimes creates a light source. This type of chemical
reaction tends to occur in combustion reactions such as a fire or burning process. Man-made examples of a light
being emitted due to a chemical change include fireworks, exploding in the sky and creating a colorful display.
Natural examples include fireflies, which use a chemical reaction in their bodies to produce light.
Volume Change

Each chemical compound has a specific density. If the chemical compound changes due to a chemical reaction,
the density changes as well. This causes the volume of the substance to recede or expand during the reaction
process. If the volume changes too rapidly, it may cause an explosion. An example of a volume change due to a
chemical reaction is when gas bubbles form in magma inside a volcano and expand too rapidly, leading to a
volcanic eruption.
Change in Smell or Taste

Each chemical compound has its own distinct smell or taste. When the compound changes after a chemical
reaction, the taste or smell of the compound changes as well. An example of this is when fresh food that once
smelled delicious slowly spoils and smells rotten. This bad smell sends a warning signal to the brain that tells
the person not to eat the food.

What is a Chemical Reaction?

Key Concepts:
 A physical change, such as a state change or dissolving, does not create a new substance, but a chemical
change does.
 In a chemical reaction, the atoms and molecules that interact with each other are called reactants.
 In a chemical reaction, the atoms and molecules produced by the reaction are called products.
 In a chemical reaction, only the atoms present in the reactants can end up in the products. No new atoms
are created, and no atoms are destroyed.
 In a chemical reaction, reactants contact each other, bonds between atoms in the reactants are broken,
and atoms rearrange and form new bonds to make the products.

Review what happens during a physical change and introduce the idea of chemical change.

Tell students that in previous chapters they have studied different aspects of physical change. When atoms
and molecules speed up or slow down, that is a physical change. When they change state from liquid to solid
or from gas to liquid, that is a physical change. When a substance is dissolved by water or some other
solvent, a new substance has not really been formed. The ions or molecules can still come back together to
form the original substance.

Let students know that in this chapter they will explore what happens during a chemical change. In a
chemical change, the atoms in the reactants rearrange themselves and bond together differently to form one
or more new products with different characteristics than the reactants.

Ask students:
What do you think are the reactants in this chemical reaction?

Wax and oxygen from the air are the reactants.

Students often say that the string or wick is burning. It is true that the string of the wick does burn but it’s the
wax on the string and not so much the string itself that burns and keeps the candle burning. Explain that the
molecules that make up the wax combine with oxygen from the air to make the products carbon dioxide and
water vapor.

Point out to students that this is one of the major characteristics of a chemical reaction: In a chemical
reaction, atoms in the reactants combine in new and different ways to form the molecules of the products.

Students may be surprised that water can be produced from combustion. Since we use water to extinguish a
fire, it may seem strange that water is actually produced by combustion. You may want to let students know
that when they “burn” food in their bodies, they also produce carbon dioxide and water.

Note: Some curious students may ask what the flame is made of. This is a great question and not trivial to
answer. The flame is burning wax vapor. The light of the flame is caused by a process called
chemiluminescence. Energy released in the chemical reaction makes electrons from different molecules
move to a higher energy state. When the electrons come back down, energy is released in the form of light.

Explain

Introduce the chemical equation for the combustion of methane and explain that atoms rearrange to
become different molecules.
 Explain to students that wax is made of long molecules called paraffin and that paraffin is made up of only
carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms bonded together. Molecules made of only carbon and hydrogen are called
hydrocarbons. Tell students that you will use the simplest hydrocarbon (methane) as a model to show how
the wax, or any other hydrocarbon, burns.

Project the image Chemical Reaction between Methane and Oxygen.

Show students that there is methane and oxygen on the left side of the chemical equation and carbon dioxide
and water on the right side. Explain that the molecules on the left side are the reactants and the ones on the
right side are the products. When the candle was burning, the paraffin reacted with oxygen in the air to
produce carbon dioxide and water, similar to the chemical reaction between methane and oxygen.

Explain to students that the chemical formula for methane is CH 4. This means that methane is made up of
one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms.

Show students that the other reactant is two molecules of oxygen gas. Point out that each molecule of oxygen
gas is made up of two oxygen atoms bonded together. It can be confusing for students that oxygen the atom,
and oxygen the molecule, are both called oxygen. Let students know that when we talk about the oxygen in
the air, it is always the molecule of oxygen, which is two oxygen atoms bonded together, or O2.

Ask students:
Where do the atoms come from that make the carbon dioxide and the water on the right side of
the equation?

The atoms in the products come from the atoms in the reactants. In a chemical reaction, bonds between
atoms in the reactants are broken and the atoms rearrange and form new bonds to make the products.

Guide students as you answer the following question together:

How many carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are in the reactants compared to the number of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the products?

Show students how to use the big number (coefficient) in front of the molecule and the little number
after an atom of the molecule (subscript) to count the atoms on both sides of the equation. Explain to
students that the subscript tells how many of a certain type of atom are in a molecule. The coefficient
tells how many of a particular type of molecule there are. So if there is a coefficient in front of the
molecule and a subscript after an atom, you need to multiply the coefficient times the subscript to get the
number of atoms.

For example, in the products of the chemical reaction there are 2H 2O. The coefficient means that there
are two molecules of water. The subscript means that each water molecule has two hydrogen atoms.
Since each water molecule has two hydrogen atoms and there are two water molecules, there must be 4
(2 × 2) hydrogen atoms.

A. Explain that mass is conserved in a chemical reaction.

Ask students:
Are atoms created or destroyed in a chemical reaction?

No.

How do you know?

 There are the same number of each type of atom on both the reactant side and the product side of the
chemical equation we explored.

In a physical change, like changing state from a solid to a liquid, the substance itself doesn’t
really change. How is a chemical change different from a physical change?
In a chemical change, the molecules in the reactants interact to form new substances. In a physical
change, like a state change or dissolving, no new substance is formed.

Explain that another way to say that no atoms are created or destroyed in a chemical reaction is to say, “Mass
is conserved.”

Project the image Balanced Equation.

Explain that the balance shows the mass of methane and oxygen on one side exactly equals the mass of
carbon dioxide and water on the other. When an equation of a chemical reaction is written, it is “balanced”
and shows that the atoms in the reactants end up in the products and that no new atoms are created and no
atoms are destroyed.

Introduce two other combustion reactions and have students check to see whether or not they are balanced.

Tell students that, in addition to the wax and methane, some other common hydrocarbons are propane (the
fuel in outdoor gas grills), and butane (the fuel in disposable lighters). Have students count the number of
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in the reactants and products of each equation to see if the equation is
balanced. They should record the number of each type of atom in the chart on their activity sheet.

Lighting an outdoor gas grill—Combustion of propane

C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H20

Using a disposable lighter—Combustion of butane

2C4H10 + 13O2 → 8CO2 + 10H2O

After students have counted up each type of atom, review their answers to make sure they know how to
interpret subscripts and coefficients.

Chemical Change
In chemistry there are usually two types of changes that can take place: physical and chemical. Physical are
those that are usually less difficult and can usually be undone easily, even if over time. Chemical change,
however, takes place when the internal make-up or the molecules of the object changes and is not reversible,
unless of course there is another chemical reaction. It is a chemical process or reaction which causes such a
change in the molecules of the object.
There are usually one or more new substances formed or created during a chemical reaction or change. A most
likely clue to a chemical change occurs when the process produces a gas, light, smell, a fire or heat, or a color
change (not with crayons).
Chemical changes may sometimes change the state of matter as well, but not always. For example, melting solid
ice changing into water is not a chemical change because the molecules do not change. It is still water. A
formation of a solid may take place when two gases are joined together. Chemical changes may also be
accompanied by a gain or loss of energy.
Chemical changes take place every day in a person's life when new matter is formed. The new matter has a
composition of molecules different from the original object or substance.
Examples of Chemical Change:
1. Burning wood in a fireplace: When the wood lights up and begins to gently burn it eventually turns into
ashes. As it burns though, heat is produced, there is light, and the smoke is released through the chimney. The
chemical reaction of the heat, light, and smoke are characteristics of a chemical reaction resulting in new matter,
the ashes. The ashes cannot be turned back into the wood.
2. Ripening and rotten bananas: Several bananas are on the countertop at home. They are green when
purchased, but eventually they begin to turn yellow and eventually ripen to the point of becoming rotten. The
chemical composition of the bananas has changed over time resulting in new molecules. One cannot unripen a
banana.
3. Rusting: A nail, or other metal begins rusting in the outdoors. It is due to the chemical reaction between the
metal and the moisture in the air. The nail can be cleaned of its rust, but the rust itself cannot be turned back
into the original metal.
4. Leaves in the autumn: During the spring and summer the leaves on trees are a vibrant green and give off
oxygen as the plants make their own food through photosynthesis. However, when autumn arrives the chemical
reaction causes the leaves to become brown and ultimately fall off the tree. The brown leaves cannot be turned
green again.

Chemical Changes
It's the Fourth of July in Providence, Rhode Island.  
Brilliant fireworks are exploding in the night sky. 
When you look at the fireworks, you see dazzling
sparkles of red, white and blue trickle down in all
directions. 

The explosion of fireworks is an example of
chemical change.

During a chemical change, substances are

changed into different substances.  Another words,
the composition of the substance changes.

Physical changes are relatively easy to identify.  If only

the form of a substance changes, you have observed a
physical change.
Signs of Chemical Changes

How can you tell whether a change is a chemical

change? 
 
If you think you are unfamiliar with chemical
changes, think again.
A common physical change occurs when matter changes
from one phase to another.  When an ice cube melts for
example, it becomes liquid water.  The solid ice and liquid
water have the same composition.  The only difference is
the form. 
Color Changes You have just
witnessed a
As in the case of autumn leaves, a change in color is spectacular chemical
a clue to indicate a chemical change.  change if you have
seen the leaves change
Perhaps you have found a half eaten apple that turns color in the autumn.
brown.  The reason is that a chemical change has
occurs when food spoils.  

   

Energy - Absorbed or Released

When you bake a cake,
energy is absorbed by the Another sign of a chemical change is the release or gain of
batter as it changes form energy by an object.  Many substances absorb energy to
a runny mix into a cake. undergo a chemical change.  Energy is absorbed during
chemical changes involved in cooking, like baking a cake.

Energy can also be released during a chemical

change.  The fireworks that were mentioned above
release energy in a form of light that you can see. 

You can also see that energy is released when in this

movie clip when sodium and chlorine are combined
with water.
Odor Changes

It only takes one experience with a rotten egg to When you smell an
learn that they smell different that fresh eggs.  When odd order in foods
eggs and food spoil, they undergo a chemical such as chicken, pork
change.  The change in odor is a clue to the chemical of mayonnaise, you
change know that the food has
undergone a chemical
change.  You can use
this clue to avoid
eating spoiled food and
becoming ill.

Production of Gases or Solids

The formation of a gas is  a clue to chemical changes. 

The bubbles of gas that you observed form when an
antacid is dropped into water is an example of change.

Another clue that a chemical change has occurred is the

formation of a solid.  A solid that separates out of solution
during a chemical change is called a precipitate. 

Not easily reversed

As wood burns, it turns
into a pile of ashes and How do physical and chemical changes differ from each
gases that rise into air.  other?  Think about ice for a moment.  After ice melts into
After the wood is liquid water, you can refreeze it into solid ice if the
burned, it cannot be temperature drops.  Freezing and melting are physical
restored to its original changes. The substances produced during chemical
form as a log.  changes however cannot easily change back into the
original substances. 
The most important thing for your to remember is that in
a physical change the composition of a substance does not
Chemical vs Physical Change
change and in a chemical change the composition of a
substance does change.

Chemical Reactions

Chemical Changes are also called Chemical

Reactions.  Chemical reactions involve combining
different substances.  The chemical reaction
produces a new substance with new and different
physical and chemical properties. 

Matter is never destroyed or created in chemical

reactions.  The particles of one substance are
rearranged to form a new substance. The same
number of particles that exist before the reaction
exist after the reaction. 

To create your own chemical change, click on Fireworks. 

To find more fun information about firework displays that
 you see click here. 

Consumer fireworks are illegal to possess in Rhode Island,

however there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy a
great show.  Although it rarely happens, it is possible that
a firework component might fall to the ground without
exploding. 

Chemical reaction, a process in which one or more substances, the reactants, are converted to one or more
different substances, the products. Substances are either chemical elements or compounds. A chemical reaction
rearranges the constituent atoms of the reactants to create different substances as products.
Chemical reactions are an integral part of technology, of culture, and indeed of life itself. Burning
fuels, smelting iron, making glass and pottery, brewing beer, and making wine and cheese are among many
examples of activities incorporating chemical reactions that have been known and used for thousands of years.
Chemical reactions abound in the geology of Earth, in the atmosphere and oceans, and in a vast array of
complicated processes that occur in all living systems.
Chemical reactions must be distinguished from physical changes. Physical changes include changes of state,
such as ice melting to water and water evaporating to vapour. If a physical change occurs, the physical
properties of a substance will change, but its chemical identity will remain the same. No matter what its
physical state, water (H2O) is the same compound, with each moleculecomposed of two atoms of hydrogen and
one atom of oxygen. However, if water, as ice, liquid, or vapour, encounters sodium metal (Na), the atoms will
be redistributed to give the new substances molecular hydrogen (H 2) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). By this,
we know that a chemical change or reaction has occurred.

liquid: Effects of chemical interactions

In many cases the properties of a mixture are determined primarily by forces that are more properly

classified as chemical rather than as physical. For example, when dinitrogen pentoxide is dissolved in

water, a new substance, nitric acid, is formed; and it is…

Historical Overview

The concept of a chemical reaction dates back about 250 years. It had its origins in early experiments that
classified substances as elements and compounds and in theories that explained these processes. Development
of the concept of a chemical reaction had a primary role in defining the science of chemistry as it is known
today.
The first substantive studies in this area were on gases. The identification of oxygen in the 18th century by
Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele and English clergyman Joseph Priestley had particular significance. The
influence of French chemist Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier was especially notable, in that his insights confirmed
the importance of quantitative measurements of chemical processes. In his book Traité élémentaire de
chimie (1789; Elementary Treatise on Chemistry), Lavoisier identified 33 “elements”—substances not broken
down into simpler entities. Among his many discoveries, Lavoisier accurately measured the weight gained
when elements were oxidized, and he ascribed the result to the combining of the element with oxygen. The
concept of chemical reactions involving the combination of elements clearly emerged from his writing, and his
approach led others to pursue experimental chemistry as a quantitative science.
The other occurrence of historical significance concerning chemical reactions was the development of atomic
theory. For this, much credit goes to English chemist John Dalton, who postulated his atomic theory early in the
19th century. Dalton maintained that matter is composed of small, indivisible particles, that the particles,
or atoms, of each element were unique, and that chemical reactions were involved in rearranging atoms to form
new substances. This view of chemical reactions accurately defines the current subject. Dalton’s theory
provided a basis for understanding the results of earlier experimentalists, including the law of conservation of
matter (matter is neither created nor destroyed) and the law of constant composition (all samples of a substance
have identical elemental compositions).
Thus, experiment and theory, the two cornerstones of chemical science in the modern world, together defined
the concept of chemical reactions. Today experimental chemistry provides innumerable examples, and
theoretical chemistry allows an understanding of their meaning.
Basic Concepts Of Chemical Reactions

Synthesis
When making a new substance from other substances, chemists say either that they carry out a synthesis or that
they synthesize the new material. Reactants are converted to products, and the process is symbolized by
a chemical equation. For example, iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) combine to form iron sulfide (FeS).Fe(s) + S(s) →
FeS(s)The plus sign indicates that iron reacts with sulfur. The arrow signifies that the reaction “forms” or
“yields” iron sulfide, the product. The state of matter of reactants and products is designated with the symbols
(s) for solids, (l) for liquids, and (g) for gases.
COLLISION THEORY: HOW CHEMICAL REACTIONS OCCUR

In order for a chemical reaction to take place, the reactants must collide. The collision between the molecules in

a chemical reaction provides the kinetic energy needed to break the necessary bonds so that new bonds can be

formed.

Sometimes, even if there is a collision, not enough kinetic energy is available to be transferred — the molecules

aren’t moving fast enough. You can help the situation somewhat by heating the mixture of reactants. The

temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules; raising the temperature increases the

kinetic energy available to break bonds during collisions.

The molecules must also collide in the right orientation, or hit at the right spot, in order for the reaction to occur.

Here’s an example: Suppose you have an equation showing molecule A-B reacting with C to form C-A and B,

like this:

A-B + C→C-A + B

The way this equation is written, the reaction requires that reactant C collide with A-B on the A end of the

molecule. If it hits the B end, nothing will happen. The Aend of this hypothetical molecule is called the reactive

site, the place on the molecule that the collision must take place in order for the reaction to occur.

If C collides at the A end of the molecule, then there’s a chance that enough energy can be transferred to break

the A-B bond. After the A-B bond is broken, the C-A bond can be formed. The equation for this reaction process

can be shown in this way:

C~A~B→C-A + B

So in order for this reaction to occur, there must be a collision between C and A-B at the reactive site. The

collision between C and A-B has to transfer enough energy to break the A-B bond, allowing the C-A bond to

form.

Energy is required to break a bond between atoms.

This example is a simple one. Many reactions are one-step, but many others require several steps in going from

reactants to final products. In the process, several compounds may be formed that react with each other to give

the final products. These compounds are called intermediates.

AN EXOTHERMIC EXAMPLE OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Imagine that the hypothetical reaction A-B + C→C-A + B is exothermic — a reaction in which heat is given off

(released) when going from reactants to products. The reactants start off at a higher energy state than the

products, so energy is released in going from reactants to products.

In the diagram below, the activation energy for the reaction (the energy that you have to put in to get the

reaction going) is shown as:

The energy diagram shows the collision of C and A-B with the breaking of the A-B bond and the forming of the

C-A bond at the top of an activation energy hill. This grouping of reactants at the top of the activation energy

hill is sometimes called the transition state of the reaction. The difference in the energy level of the reactants

and the energy level of the products is the amount of energy (heat) that is released in the reaction.

Exothermic reaction of A-B +C–>C-A + B.

AN ENDOTHERMIC EXAMPLE OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Suppose that the hypothetical reaction A-B + C→C-A + B is endothermic — a reaction in which heat is

absorbed in going from reactants to products — so the reactants are at a lower energy state than the products.

The following energy diagram shows this reaction.

Endothermic reaction of A-B +C–>C-A + B.

This diagram also shows that an activation energy is associated with the reaction. In going from reactants to

products, you have to put in more energy initially to get the reaction started, and then you get that energy back

out as the reaction proceeds.

Notice that the transition state appears at the top of the activation energy hill — just like in the exothermic-

reaction energy diagram. The difference is that,

in going from reactants to products, energy

(heat) must be absorbed in the endothermic

example.
Chemical Reactions
Let's start with the idea of a chemical reaction. Reactions occur when two or more molecules interact and the
molecules change. Bonds between atoms are broken and created to form new molecules. That's it. What
molecules are they? How do they interact? What happens? The possibilities are infinite. 

When you are trying to understand chemical reactions, imagine that you are working with the atoms. Imagine
the building blocks are right in front of you on the table. Sometimes we use our chemistry toys to help us
visualize the movement of the atoms. We plug and unplug the little connectors that represent chemical bonds.
There are a few key points you should know about chemical reactions: 

1. A chemical change must occur. You start with one molecule and turn it into another. Chemical bonds are
made or broken in order to create a new molecule. One example of a chemical reaction is the rusting of a steel
garbage can. That rusting happens because the iron (Fe) in the
metal combines with oxygen (O2) in the atmosphere. Chemical
bonds are created and destroyed to finally make iron oxide
(Fe2O3). 

When a refrigerator or air conditioner cools the air, there is no

reaction in the air molecules. The change in temperature is
a physical change. When you melt an ice cube, it is a physical
change. When you put bleach in the washing machine to clean
your clothes, a chemical change breaks up the molecules in your
stains. 

2. A reaction could include atoms, ions, compounds, or molecules of a single element. You need to
remember that a chemical reaction can happen with anything, just as long as a chemical change occurs. If you
put pure hydrogen gas (H2) and pure oxygen gas in a room, they might be involved in a reaction to form water
(H2O). However, it will be in very very small amounts. If you
were to add a spark, those gases would be involved in a violent
chemical reaction that would result in a huge explosion
(exothermic). Another chemical reaction might include silver
ions (Ag+). If you mix a solution with silver ions with a solution
that has chloride (Cl-) ions, silver chloride (AgCl) precipitate will
form and drop out of solution. 

3. Single reactions often happen as part of a larger series of

reactions.When a plant makes sugars, there might be as many as
a dozen chemical reactions to get through the Calvin cycle and
eventually create (synthesize) glucose (C6H12O6) molecules. The rusting example we used earlier only showed
you the original reactants and final products of the chemical reaction. There were several intermediate
reactions where chemical bonds were created and destroyed. The silver chloride example only focused on the
ions. In reality, the two solutions were created when two salts dissociated (split into ions) in water.