Chapter 1 - Chemical Reactions and Equations

Chemical change: - is a change in which one or more new substances are formed.
In a chemical change—
• New substances are formed.
• Energy changes are involved.
• There is a change in mass during the reaction.
• Permanent change takes place.

Examples –
❖ Cooking of food
❖ Rusting of iron
❖ Heating of Lead nitrate
❖ Souring of milk
❖ Ripening of fruit.

Rusting of iron is a chemical change because

❖ A new substance iron oxide is formed.
❖ The change is permanent; the article has got a rust layer (which may only peal off).
❖ There is an increase in mass when rust forms.
❖ An energy change has taken place (which may not be visible).

Chemical changes are also known as chemical reactions.

Exothermic Reaction - A chemical reaction which is accompanied by evolution of heat energy

is known as exothermic reaction.
Examples:

The amount of heat (energy) produced is written along with the products. This indicates that heat
is given out.

Endothermic Reactions - A chemical reaction which is accompanied by absorption of heat

energy is known as exothermic reaction.
Examples:

The amount of heat (energy) produced is written along with the reactants. This indicates that heat
is absorbed.

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Chemical Formulae - The chemical formula of a substance is the symbolic representation of the
actual number of atoms present in one molecule of that substance.
(a) Formula of one molecule of water is H2O. It shows that one molecule of water is made up
of 2 atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen.
(b) Formula of one molecule of sulphuric acid is H2SO4. It shows that one molecule of
sulphuric acid is made up of 2 atoms of hydrogen, 1 atom of Sulphur and 4 atoms of
oxygen.

Chemical Equations - Representation of a chemical change in terms of symbols and formulae of

the reactants and products is known as chemical equation of the reaction.
Example

+ + + +

Steps for writing Chemical Equation

Step I: Writing skeletal Equation

A word-equation shows change of reactants to products through an arrow placed between them (
). The arrow may be read as "to yield" or "to form" or "to give" and shows the direction of the
reaction.

The reactants are placed on the left hand side (LHS) of the arrow and the products on the right
hand side (RHS). The different reactants as well as products are connected by a plus sign (+).
A complete chemical equation represents the reactants, products and their physical states
symbolically and is a balanced account of a chemical transaction.

Step II: Balancing of Chemical Equation

An equation in which number of atoms of each element is equal on both the sides of the equation
is known as balanced chemical equation.

A chemical equation is balanced so that the numbers of atoms of each type involved in a
chemical reaction are the same on the reactant and product sides of the equation.

Equations must always be balanced.

Whenever H2O is present on any side, the number of hydrogen on both the sides should be an
even number (2 atoms of hydrogen in water). If there are 4H2O, then 4 × 2 = 8 hydrogen atoms.
If there are 7H2O, then 7 × 2 = 14 hydrogen atoms i.e., all are even numbers.

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 On the reactant side, there must be an even number in front of HCl. (What that number is, we
will find out later). As a result, the number of chlorine atoms will also be even. But on the
product side, the number of chlorine atoms is odd (i.e., KCl = 1, MnCl2= 2, Cl2 = 2. i.e., 1 + 2 +
2 = 5). The only odd number of chlorine atoms is in KCl. Let us change it into the simplest even
number possible i.e., 2.

Since number of K atoms in 2 KCl = 2, place 2 in front of KMnO 4 to balance K atom.

In 2 KMnO4, there are 2 K, 2 Mn, and 8 O. So add these numbers in front of K, Mn and O, (K is
already done).

If there are 8 H2O on the product side, there should be 16 H (8 x 2) on the reactants side as well.

Now the only unbalanced one is Chlorine. On the left hand side, there are 16 Cl. On the right
hand side, firstly, there are 2 Cl in 2 KCl + 4 Cl in 2 MnCl2, making total of 6(2 + 4).
Subsequently 10 more Cl atoms are to be accounted for. So place 5 in front of Cl2 to make it 10
(5 x 2).

This type of balancing the chemical equations is known as the Hit and trial method.

Information conveyed by a chemical equation

1. Names of various reactants and products
2. Formulae of reactants and products
3. Relative number of moles of the reactants and products
4. Relative masses of reactants and products
5. Relative volumes of gaseous reactants and products

Limitation of a Chemical Equation

• It does not mention the state of the substances. Accordingly, the following symbols should be
added to make it informative: (s) for solid, (l) for liquid, (aq) if the reactant or product is
present as a solution in water, (g) for gas and (vap) for vapour.
Example: CaCO3 (s)+ HCl (aq) CaCl2 (s) + H2O (l) + CO2(g)
• The reaction may or may not be complete. An equation does not reveal this.
• It does not give any information regarding the speed of the reaction.
• It does not give the concentration of the substances. In some cases, terms like diluted (dil)
and concentrated (conc) may be added.
• It does not give the conditions of temperature, pressure, catalyst, etc. This is overcome by
mentioning these above or below the arrow. e.g.

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• It does not give any idea about color changes, which has to be mentioned separately.

• It does not give any indication regarding the production or absorption of heat. This is
mentioned separately.
C + O2 CO2 + Heat
2C + O2 2CO + Heat

• Some reactions are reversible. They are represented by or

• Chemical reactions that proceed with evolution of heat energy, that is, in which heat is given
out along with the product, are called exothermic reactions.
• Chemical reactions that proceed with the absorption of heat energy are called endothermic
reactions.

Balancing of simple Chemical Equations - The number of atoms of each element should
remain same before and after the reaction.
Balancing: To make the number of atoms of all the elements equal on both the sides in a skeletal
equation. A simple equation is balanced by Hit and trial method.

Steps involved in balancing a Chemical Equation:

Step 1: Write the correct skeleton equation.

Step 2: Start with the compound that has the maximum atoms or maximum kinds of atoms and
the atoms present in it are balanced first.
Step 3: Balance elements that appear only once on each side of the arrow first. Then balance
elements that appear more than once on a side.
Step 4: Elementary substances are balanced last of all.
Step 5: If required the whole equation is multiplied by some suitable number in order to make
all the coefficients whole numbers.

Balancing of Ionic Equations:

A balanced ionic equation must satisfy mass as well as charge balance.

Calculations based on Chemical Equations:

We can get a lot of quantitative information from a chemical reaction. Number of moles of
reactants and products can be calculated from a chemical reaction.

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Types of Reactions

Combination or Synthesis Reactions:

The reactions in which two or more substances combine to form a single new substance.

Types of Combination reactions:

1. Combination of two elements to form a compound
• Burning of hydrogen in air or oxygen to produce water.

2. Combination Reactions involving an Element and a Compound

• Burning of carbon monoxide in oxygen to form carbon dioxide.
2CO (g) + O2(g) 2CO2 (g)

3. Combination Reactions involving Two Compounds

• Combination of ammonia and hydrogen chloride to produce ammonium chloride.

Decomposition reactions: are opposite to combination reactions. In a decomposition reaction a

compound breaks down into two or more simple substances by the application of heat or
electricity.
When a substance decomposes due to heat it is called thermal decomposition, while
decomposition due to electricity, is called electrolytic decomposition.

Electrolysis: The decomposition of a substance by passing electric current through it is called

electrolysis.

Photolysis: The decomposition of a compound with light is called photolysis.

1. Mercuric oxide, when heated, undergoes thermal decomposition, to give mercury and oxygen.

2. Similarly, if blue crystals of copper nitrate are heated, they undergo thermal decomposition to
give black colored copper oxide, reddish brown fumes of nitrogen dioxide, and a colorless
gas of oxygen.

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3. When water taken in an electrolytic cell, is acidified with a small quantity of sulphuric acid
and a direct current passed through it undergoes electrolytic decomposition to yield hydrogen
and oxygen.
𝐸𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
2𝐻2 𝑂(𝐼) → 2𝐻2(𝑔) + 𝑂2(𝑔)
Water Hydrogen Oxygen

4. If an electric current is passed through molten lead bromide, it decomposes to give lead and
bromine.

Activity Series: The activity series of metals is a list of metals in the order of their decreasing
chemical activity.

A substitution or displacement reaction is a chemical change in which atoms of one element

replace the atoms of another element from the molecules of a compound. Elements which are
higher in the Activity Series displace those elements which are placed below them. More electro
positive elements displace lesser electropositive elements. Conversely, higher electro negative
elements will displace lesser electro negative elements. For e.g.,

The iodine so liberated, dissolves in the chloroform, giving it a purple color.

Double Displacement Reactions / Metathesis reactions: The reactions in which two

compounds react to form two different compounds by mutual exchange of ions.

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Types of Double displacement reactions:
1. Precipitation Reaction
2. Neutralization Reactions

1. Precipitation
In all the above reactions a white substance, which is insoluble in water, is formed. This
insoluble substance formed is known as a precipitate. A reaction that produces a precipitate is
called a precipitation reaction.

2. Neutralization
Neutralization is a type of double displacement reaction, in which, the reactants are a base and an
acid, and the products are salt and water. The positive charge of the hydrogen ion of the acid, and
the negative charge of hydroxyl ions or oxide ions of the base, lose their electrical charge, and
become covalent molecule of water.

A neutralization reaction is basically a reaction between H+ and OH- ions i.e.,

Oxidation - Reduction Reactions/Redox Reactions

Classical Concept of Oxidation and Reduction

"Oxidation is a reaction in which oxygen is added or hydrogen is removed from a substance."

Addition of Oxygen - Oxygen adds on to magnesium to become magnesium oxide.

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Removal of Hydrogen - Hydrogen is removed from hydro iodic acid to liberate free iodine.

"Reduction is a reaction in which oxygen is removed from a substance or hydrogen is added to a

substance."

Removal of Oxygen - Oxygen is removed from copper oxide to form copper metal.

Addition of Hydrogen - Hydrogen adds to chlorine to form hydrogen chloride gas.

Oxidation and reduction reactions may occur simultaneously, these reactions as "redox"
reactions.
Example of Redox Reaction

Example of Non-redox Reaction

Redox reactions are the reactions in which oxidation and reduction takes place simultaneously.

Oxidizing and Reducing Agents

Oxidizing Agent: A substance that brings about oxidation.

Reducing Agents: A substance that brings about reduction.

Another definition of Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation: The process of addition of electronegative element or radical or removal of
electropositive element or radical.

Reduction: The process of addition of electropositive element or radical or removal of

electronegative element or radical.
Electronic Concept of Oxidation and Reduction

Oxidation: The process in which there is loss of electrons.

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Reduction: The process in which there is gain of electrons.

The Effects of Oxidation Reactions in Every Day Life

Corrosion
Many metals are chemically active elements and get easily affected by substances like moisture,
air, acids, etc. One must have observed iron articles that are shiny when new, but get coated with
a reddish brown powder when left for some time. This process is commonly known as rusting of
iron. The problem with iron (as well as many other metals) is that oxidation takes place and the
oxide formed does not firmly adhere to the surface of the metal causing it to flake off easily. This
eventually causes structural weakness and disintegration of the metal.
Hence metal is attacked by substances around it, it is said to corrode and this process is called
corrosion. Corrosion causes deterioration of essential properties in a material.
What happens to copper vessels or artifacts when exposed to air and water? They slowly get
tarnished by acquiring a thin green oxide layer. Similarly, silver quickly acquires a thin black
oxide coating in moist air. The heaviest metal lead also tarnishes in moist weather. The black
coating on silver and the green coating on copper are examples of corrosion in which the oxides
formed strongly bond to the surface of the metal, preventing the surface from further exposure to
oxygen and consequently slowing down corrosion.

Rancidity
Have you ever tasted or smelt the fat/oil containing food materials left for a long time? This
unpleasant change in the flavor and odour of a food is called rancidity. The most important cause
of rancidity is the deterioration in fats and fatty foods because of oxidation process. When an
oxygen atom replaces hydrogen atom in the fatty acid molecule it destabilizes the molecule.
Factors which accelerate fat oxidation include, salt, light, water, bacteria, moulds trace metals
(iron, zinc, etc.).
Usually substances which retard fat oxidation or rancidity are called antioxidants (such as BHT,
BHA, vitamin E, and vitamin C, and spices such as sage and rosemary). These are added to
foods containing fats and oil to prevent such spoiling. Keeping food in air tight containers or air
tight wrapping also helps to slow down oxidation.
Some high fat foods such as potato chips are packaged in materials that protect them from light
and oxygen and the containers are flooded with nitrogen to further exclude oxygen. At times, to
avoid the presence of oxygen altogether, vacuum packaging is used in some processed foodstuff.

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