Activity 5

CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND

BALANCING CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

I- Introduction:

Chemical changes are results of chemical reactions. All chemical reactions

involve a change in substances and a change in energy. Chemists classify chemical
reactions in order to organize the many reactions that occur daily. Knowing the
categories of chemical reactions can help you remember, understand them, recognize
patterns, and predict products of many chemical reactions. One way that chemists
classify reaction is to distinguish among the four (4) types: direct combination or
synthesis, decomposition, single displacement or substitution, and double
displacement reactions. Some reactions fit into more than one of these types.

The conversion of substances to new ones during a chemical reaction is

represented by a chemical equation. An equation is a condensed statement that
expresses a chemical reaction using symbols and formulas of substances involved.

Example: Examine the reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to give
water and observe how it is written in the form of chemical equation.

2H2(g) + O2(g)  2H2O(l)

II- OBJECTIVES

At the end of the activity, you should be able to:

1. identify all reactants and products involved in the chemical reaction.

2. write the correct formulas to represent substances on the left and right of
the equation.
3. identify the different types of chemical reactions.
4. write a balanced chemical equation for all the reactions in the activity.

III- Concepts/Explanation:

You have seen how activity of atoms results in a chemical change. Ordinary chemical
reactions are the results of combination or decomposition processes or of replacement or
rearrangement of atoms. A chemical reaction has taken place, for example, when elements
exposed to the air become oxides or sulfides or when your throat and lungs become irritated.
It means that you have inhaled SO2 gas. Similarly, you must have wondered how green plants
manufacture starch out of CO2 and H2O during photosynthesis or why we use galvanized iron
for roofing.
TYPES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Chemical changes are results of chemical reactions. All chemical reactions involve a
change in substances resulting to a new substance very much different from the original
material. This is accomplished by energy (ᴧ). There are so many chemical reactions that it is
helpful to classify them into 4 general types, these are the following:

a.Direct Combination or Synthesis Reaction – involves two or more simple substances

combine to form a more complex substance. Two or more reactants yielding one product is
another way to identify a synthesis reaction. It may be represented by this hypothetical
equation:
A + B → AB
For example, simple hydrogen gas combined with simple oxygen gas can produce a more
complex substance-----water!
2H2(g) + O2(g) → 2H2O(l)

b.Decomposition Reaction – involves breaking down of a simple compound into simpler

substances. Basically, synthesis and decomposition reactions are opposites.
AB → A + B.
For example, water can be broken down into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The chemical
equation for this decomposition reaction looks like 2H2O(l) → 2H2(g) + O2(g)

c. Single Displacement or Substitution Reaction – involves a free element (metal or non-

metal) replaces another element in a compound forming a new compound accompanied in
the release of the element displaced. In this reaction, a more active element is required to
displace a less active one. This type of reaction usually occurs between a metal and an acid.
In this reaction, gaseous hydrogen is released. Reactions also take place in which non-metal
is displaced from one of its compounds by another non-metal. The order or arrangement
series is F, Cl, Br, O, I, S, Se. Each element can displace another element forming the new
compounds.
A + BC → B + AC
For example, when zinc combines with hydrochloric acid, the zinc replaces hydrogen. The
chemical equation for this single replacement reaction is:

Zn(S) + 2 HCl(aq) → ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)

d.Double Displacement Reaction – involves parts of two compounds switch places to form
two new compounds. The positive ion of one compound exchanges with the positive ion of
another compound. Two reactants yield two products. AB + CD → AD + CB

For example, 2 HCl(aq) + FeS(s) → FeCl2(aq) + H2S(g)

You all know that a chemical reaction is always represented by a chemical equation.
This is the short cut way of understanding what happens when a reactant undergoes or 2 or
more reactants undergo a chemical reaction. In writing an equation it must follow the Law of
Conservation of Mass Below are the things to consider in balancing a chemical equation.

1. Identify the reactants and products in the reaction using chemical symbols and formulas.
2. Reactants (starting materials or substances) are written to the left side of the equation arrow (),
and products (resulting substances) are written to the right. An arrow is used to represent the
conversion of the reactants to product(s). Sometimes, two arrows pointing in opposite directions

() are used. This means that the reaction is reversible. A reversible reaction can proceed
in either direction.

Example: The reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen gas to give water is represented as follows:

2H2 + O2  2H2O

Reactants Product

3. The physical states of reactants and products are shown in parenthesis by placing the following
symbols after the formula of the substance, such as:

Symbol Meaning Symbol Meaning

(s) solid (g) gas
(l) liquid (aq) aqueous

2H2(g) + O2(g)  2H2O(l)

The above reaction indicates that the water produced is in liquid form. At other conditions, the
water produced may be in the gaseous or solid states.

4. The symbol  over the reaction arrow means that heat energy must be necessary for the
reaction to occur.

2H2O(l)  2H2(g) + O2(g)

5. A chemical reaction obeys the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that “matter can neither
be gained nor lost in a chemical equation”. Thus, the equation must be balanced. This means that
the number of atoms of each kind on the left and the right side of the equation must be equal.

2H2(g) + O2(g)  2H2O(l)

The number of atoms of each kind is adjusted by using coefficients, a number chosen and
written before the formula of a substance. In effect, it works as a multiplier of the number of
atoms in the formula. The accounting of each atom in a balanced equation is illustrated below:
2Na3PO4(g) + 3Ba(OH)2(aq)  6NaOH(aq) + Ba3(PO4)2(s)

Atom Reactants (left side) Products (right side)

Na 2(3) = 6 6
 P 2 2
O 2(4) + 3(2) = 14 6 + 4(2) = 14
H 3(2) = 6 6
Ba 3 3

Balancing Chemical Equations by Inspection:

In general, a balanced equation is written in two steps:

1. Write the correct formulas and states or phases of the reactants and products.
2. Balance the number of atoms of each kind by using coefficients. In simple
reactions, balancing by inspection is easily accomplished. There are reactions
that are difficult to balance by this method.

Example: Write the balanced equation for the reaction of magnesium with oxygen
to form magnesium oxide.

Step 1: Identify the reactants and the products.

Magnesium + oxygen  magnesium oxide
Step 2: Write the formulas. Mg + O2  MgO

Step 3: Balance the number of atoms. This can be accomplished by adjusting the
coefficients. Chemical formulas must not be changed. It will take some practice
for you to determine which atom should be balanced first. In the example, the
easiest way to start is with oxygen. Thus,
Mg + O2  MgO

Table 12a. Left Right

Mg 1 1
O 2 1

The table above shows that oxygen is deficient on the right side. To balance
oxygen, the coefficient 2 is written before MgO. The equation becomes:

Mg + O2  2MgO

Table 12b. Left Right

Mg 1 2
O 2 2

This time, as shown in the table, Mg is rendered deficient on the left side. Mg is
balanced by writing the coefficient 2 before the element on the left side. The
equation becomes:
2Mg + O2  2MgO

Table 12c. Left Right

Mg 2 2
O 2 2
 When the number of atoms in the left side of the equation is equal to the right side,
the chemical equation is finally balanced.

Work/Practice Exercise:

In substitution to the activity given in a manual, do the following activities:

A. Convert the following worded equations into a chemical equation and balance. Write
the reactants on the left side of the equation and the products on the right side of the
equation and indicate the physical state of each substance involved.

1. Solid ammonium carbonate is heated. It decomposes into ammonia gas, carbon

dioxide gas and water vapor.

2. Ethyl alcohol (CH3CH2OH) and carbon dioxide gas can be produced by the
fermentation of glucose (C6H12O6) with the presence of yeast.

3. Liquefied propane gas is often used for cooking in suburban areas away from natural
gas lines. Propane (C3H8) burns in oxygen gas, producing carbon dioxide gas, water
vapor and heat.

4. Iron metal reacts with oxygen gas in air to form iron (III) oxide.

5. Silver nitrate is used in “styptic pencils” which help to cauterize small nicks and cuts
occurring during shaving. Silver nitrate can be prepared by dissolving metallic silver
in concentrated nitric acid with hydrogen gas being an additional product of the
reaction.
B. Balance the equation and classify the following as combination/synthesis or
decomposition or single displacement/substitution or double displacement reaction:

Chemical Equations Balance the reaction Classification

1. CuSO4(aq) + Zn(s) → ZnSO4(aq) +

Cu(s)

2. MgO(s) + H2O(l) → Mg (OH)2(aq)

3. KCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq) → KNO3(aq)

+ AgCl(↓)

4. CuSO4•H2O(s) + heat → CuSO4 +

H2O(g)

5. HCl(aq) + Al(s) → AlCl3 + H2(g)

6. CuSO4(aq) + Fe(s) → FeSO4(aq) +

Cu(s)

7. (CH3COO)2Pb(aq) + K2CrO4(aq) →
CH3COOK(aq) + PbCrO4(↓)

8. Li2SO4(aq) + BaCl2(aq) → BaSO4(↓)

+ LiCl

9. Cu(s) + Heat → CuO(s)

10. CH3CH2OH(l) + heat → CO2(g) +

H2O(g)