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12
GENERAL CHEMISTRY
QUARTER 1
Week 3.2

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Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE
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SUBJECT & Grade 12

QUARTER 1 WEEK 3 DAY _________________
GRADE/LEVEL Gen. Chem. 1 dd/mm/yyyy

TOPIC Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations

LEARNING 10. Write equations for chemical reactions.
COMPETENCY STEM_GC11CR-If-g-34

IMPORTANT: Do not write anything on this material. Write your answers on the Learner’s
Activity and Assessment Sheets provided separately.

UNDERSTAND Chemistry is
Writing Chemical Equations FUN!

Chemical reactions occur constantly within our bodies,

within plants and animals, in the air that circulates around us,
in the lakes and oceans that we swim in, and even in the soil
where we grow crops and build our homes. So technically,
chemical reactions are everywhere!
Now, let us try to recall important concepts on chemical
reactions and relate its importance in writing chemical
equations.

What is a chemical reaction?

A chemical reaction is defined as the process, wherein a set of chemical substances

reacts with each other, which leads to their conversion into other different forms. The products
of a chemical reaction are always different from the reactants. Further, it is always
accompanied by a chemical change as evidenced by any of the following:
 change in color
 evolution of gas (formation of bubbles)
 release or absorption of heat
 formation of a precipitate
 change in odor

These evidences are manifested as symbols

and representations frequently used to
specify the physical state of the substances
or conditions in the reactions and are
epresented represented in Chemical Equations.
What is a chemical equation?
A chemical equation shows the identity of
the reactants and products and the relative amounts of these
substances consumed or produced in a chemical reaction. It is a
shorthand for a chemical reaction.
Let us consider the reaction between hydrogen gas and oxygen gas
to form liquid water as shown
in the figure:
Examine the equation by looking
into its component.

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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Based on the figure on the right, a chemical

equation always has two sides: the reactants
and the products:
a. Reactants are those substances
(either elements or compounds) that
react with each other; and
b. Products are those substances formed.

SAQ-1: What are the parts of a chemical equation? Differentiate each.

SAQ-2: Based on the figure, which substance/s could be considered as reactant/s and as
product/s?

But, there’s more to chemical equations than meets the eye!

Chemical equations give other important

information about chemical reactions.

Subscripts

Figure 1. The Chemical Equation for the Formation of Water from Hydrogen and Oxygen

As you can see in the example, note that there are different parts of a chemical equation.
1. The arrow () indicates the direction of the reaction and separates the reactants. The
arrow is read as gives, yields, or forms.
2. The plus sign (+) appearing between the chemical formulas (in the reactant or product
side) simply means “reacts” with and read as and.
3. The coefficient written before the element or compound signifies the number of moles
reacted or produced, and the subscripts denote the number of atoms present in the
molecule or compound.
4. The physical states of the reactants and products are provided in the equation. A
(g) following a formula tells us the substance is a gas. Solids are described with
(s). Liquids are described with (l). When a substance is dissolved in water, it is
described with (aq) for aqueous, which means “mixed with water.”

Thus, the equation above is read as “two moles of hydrogen react with
one mole of oxygen to yield two moles of water.”
Let us try to answer these questions on the assessment sheets
provided.
SAQ-3: How are molecules of a substance represented in a
chemical equation?
SAQ-4: How are atoms of an element making up the reactant and
product represented in a chemical equation?
DID YOU KNOW THAT…
The 19th-century Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius worked out this system for writing
chemical formulas which are essential components in writing chemical equations.

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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Now that you know the different information about

a chemical reaction, please note that there are other details This is
that you need to pay attention to. important to
Chemists simply use the representations and symbols instead
remember!
of writing all the events and details of the chemical reaction
in a chemical equation.

Table 1 summarizes important symbols used to explain the events taking place during a
reaction.
Table 1. Symbols used in writing chemical equations

( place SAQ 5 here )

If special conditions are necessary for a reaction to take place, they are often specified
above the arrow. Some examples of special conditions are electric current, high
temperature, high pressure, and light. The following are concrete examples for these
conditions:

1. The burning of hydrogen gas must be started with a small flame or a spark, but that is
not considered a special condition. There is no need to indicate it above the arrow in the
equation for the creation of water from hydrogen and oxygen. However, the conversion
of water back to hydrogen and oxygen does require a special condition— specifically,
exposure to an electric current:

2. A reaction carried out by heating may be indicated by the uppercase Greek letter delta
(Δ) over the arrow.

Let us try to answer these questions on the assessment sheets provided.

SAQ-5: A double arrow is used to denote a reversible reaction in this reaction; H 2

+ O2 ⇌ H2O. What does this mean?
SAQ-6: What are some symbols utilized for reactions with special conditions in
the examples 1 and 2 given above?
SAQ-7: Identify the symbols listed in table 1 specific for each of the five evidences
of a chemical reaction. Give only one example per evidence.

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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LET US PUT INTO APPLICATION WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR!

Consider the example: In a precipitation reaction, sodium hydroxide solution is mixed
with iron (II) chloride solution. Sodium Chloride solution and insoluble iron (II) hydroxide are
produced. Write the chemical equation including the state symbols for this reaction.

Step 1: Identify reactants and products and place them in a word equation.

sodium hydroxide + iron(II) chloride → sodium chloride + iron(II) hydroxide

Step 2: Convert the chemical names into chemical formulas using the guide given to you in
your previous lesson in writing chemical formula. +
Sodium – Na
Na OH + Fe Cl  Na Cl + Fe OH
+ - +2 - + - +2 - Hydroxide – OH-
sodium hydroxide + iron(II) chloride → sodium chloride + iron(II) hydroxide Iron (II) – Fe+2
Chloride – Cl-

2a. Use the guidelines in writing chemical formula to show the reactants and products
involved in the reaction.

Na+ OH- + Fe+2 Cl-  Na+ Cl- + Fe+2 OH-

sodium hydroxide + iron(II) chloride → sodium chloride + iron(II) hydroxide

2b: Place them based on the chemical equation and write the state symbols.
NaOH (aq) + FeCl2 (aq) → NaCl (aq) + Fe(OH)2 (s)

Sodium hydroxide, Iron (II) chloride and sodium chloride are

aqueous (aq) since it is a solution based in the word
equation.

Iron (II) hydroxide is a solid (s) since it is a product of

precipitation.

Step 3: Balance the equation when needed. However, this will be reserved for the next lesson.

2 NaOH(aq) + FeCl2(aq) → 2 NaCl(aq) + Fe(OH)2(s)

Now, let us put into practice what you have learned so far in this lesson. Are you
ready? I bet you are!
Let’s Practice No.1!

Writing chemical equations from word problems

(Please answer on the assessment sheets provided)

A. For items 1-4. write the chemical equations of the given chemical reactions
by choosing the correct responses/chemical species from the box.
Na (s) MgCO3 (s) S8 (s) Zn (s) I2 (g) MgO (g) NaClO3 (s) O2(g)

NaCl (aq) electricity NaS (s) NaCl (s) ZnI2 (s) CO2 (g)

1. A metal reacts with sulphur granules to form a solid metallic sulfide.

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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2. Sodium chloride crystals react with oxygen to form solid sodium chlorate.

3. A metal reacts with a halogen to form a halide or salt.

4. A metallic carbonate decomposes in the presence of heat into metallic

oxide and carbon dioxide.

B. Supply the needed answer by writing the correct chemical equation in the
Box. Use necessary symbols and representation to show the events taking
place in the reaction.

5. Zinc metal reacted with aqueous hydrogen chloride to produce aqueous

zinc chloride and hydrogen gas.

6. Pure iron and carbon dioxide can be prepared by reacting ferric oxide with
carbon monoxide.

You did a great job! Now that you have practiced writing chemical
equations from word equations, let us do the reverse. Let us write word
equations from chemical equations. Are you ready?

REVERSE! REVERSE! REVERSE!

Let us try to look into this equation; Zn (s) + HCl (aq) → ZnCl2 (aq)+ H2 (g), how
will you write the word equation for this reaction? It is important that you will use your
guide in naming compounds as previously discussed.

STEP 1: Identify the reactants and products in the reaction and write its chemical name.

Reactants : Zn – zinc metal (since it is solid, then it is assumed as a metal)

HCl – hydrochloric acid ( since the compound is in aqueous solutions,
its name shall follow the rule in naming acids
in aqueous solutions; hydro + -ic then acid)

Products : ZnCl2 – zinc chloride (following the general rule in naming binary
compounds: name the metal then the non-
metal ending in –ide )
H2 – hydrogen gas (it is a gas therefore diatomic. The same is true
for all gas molecules; Cl2, O2, I2, N2)

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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STEP 2: Look into the physical states of each chemical species involved in the reaction.
Zn – is solid, therefore in its metallic form
HCl and ZnCl2 – are both in aqueous solution
H2 – is gaseous therefore it is liberated or evolved during the reaction

STEP 3: Construct the word equations taking into consideration the direction of the reaction.

Zinc metal reacts with aqueous hydrochloric acid solution to yield aqueous zinc
chloride and liberated hydrogen gas.

Word equations are used to help introduce the concepts of reactants, products and
the direction of reactions.
There are some key words to watch for when reading or writing a word equation. The
words "and" or "plus" mean one chemical and another are both reactants and products. The
phrase "is reacted with" indicates the chemicals are reactants. If you say
"forms", "makes", or "yields", it means the following substances are
products.
Key Takeaways: Word Equations Let’s Practice No.2!

 A word equation is an expression of a Writing word equations from

chemical reaction or mathematical
equation using words rather than letters, chemical equations
numbers, and operators.
 In chemistry, a word equation indicates Write the word equation for the following
the order of events of a chemical reaction. equations of chemical reactions:
The number of moles and types of 1. SO3(g) + H2O(l)  H2SO4 (aq)
reactants yield the number of moles and 2. KClO3(s)  KCl (s) + O2(g)
types of products.
 Word equations help in learning
3. Na2O (s) + H2O (l)  NaOH (aq)
chemistry because they reinforce the 4. Al (s) + O2 (g)  Al2O3 (s)
thought process involved in writing a 5. CO2 (g) + LiOH (s)  Li2CO3 (s)
chemical reaction or equation. + H2O (g)

REMEMBER
Key Points
 Chemical equations are symbolic representations of
chemical and physical changes.
 Formulas for the substances undergoing the change
(reactants) and substances generated by the change
(products) are separated by an arrow and preceded by integer
coefficients indicating their relative numbers.
 Writing a chemical equation involves writing the chemical formula of each of the
reactant and product of a reaction. The phases may also be included.
 In a chemical equation, the reactants are written on the left, and the products are written
on the right.
 The coefficients next to the symbols of entities indicate the number of moles of a
substance produced or used in the chemical reaction.
 The reactants and products are separated by an arrow, usually read aloud as “yields.”
 Chemical equations should contain information about the state properties of products
and reactants, whether aqueous (dissolved in water — aq), solid (s), liquid (l), or gas
(g).
 A word equation should state the reactants (starting materials), products (ending
materials), and direction of the reaction in a form that could be used to write a chemical
equation.

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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TRY
Let’s see how much have you learned today!
(Answer on the Learner’s Activity and Assessment sheets.)
A. Read and understand the questions then
encircle the letter of the correct answer. 6. When oxygen is available, sulfur
dioxide is produced from the
1. What does the symbol Δ in a chemical burning of sulfur. Which of the
equation mean? following word equations best
A) heat is supplied to the reaction represents this reaction?
B) a catalyst is needed A) sulfur + oxygen  sulfur dioxide
C) yields B) sulfur dioxide + oxygen  sulfur
D) precipitate C) sulfur dioxide sulfur + oxygen
E) bubbles formation D) sulfur  sulfur dioxide + oxygen
2. Which of the following is NOT a true statement E) None of the above
concerning what happens in all chemical
reactions? B.Write the chemical equation, on the
A) The ways in which atoms are joined space provided, for the following chemical
together are changed. reactions. Use necessary symbols and
B) New atoms are formed as products. representation to show the events taking
C) The starting materials are named place in the reaction.
reactants.
D) The bonds of the reactants are broken and 7. Aluminum metal reacts with
new bonds of the products are formed. aqueous copper (II) chloride to
E) In a word equation representing a chemical produce aqueous aluminium
reaction, the reactants are written on the left and chloride and precipitated solid
the products on the right. copper.
3. A skeleton equation does NOT show which of
the following?
A) the correct formulas of the reactants and
products
B) the reactants on the left, the products on the
right 8. Solid ammonium chloride
C) an arrow connecting the reactants to the decomposes to produce ammonia
products gas and gaseous hydrochloric acid.
D) the physical states of the substances
E) the relative amounts of reactants and
products

4. Symbols used in equations, together with the C.Translate the given chemical equations
explanations of the symbols, are shown into worded chemical reactions. Use the
below. Which set is correct? necessary symbol descriptors to indicate
A) (g), grams events taking place in the reaction.
B) (l), liters
C) (aq), dissolved in water 9. NaCl(aq)+AgNO3(aq)NaNO3(aq)
D) (sp), solid product + AgCl(s)
E) (lq), liquid

5. The word equation “magnesium reacts with

chlorine to produce magnesium chloride” would
be represented by which of the following 10. Al4C3(s) + H2O(l)  CH4(g) +
formula equations? Al(OH)3(s)
A) Mg  Cl2 + MgCl2
B) MgCl2  Mg+ Cl2
C) MgCl2 + Mg  Cl2
D) Mg + Cl2  MgCl2
E) None of the above

Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE

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Bayquen and Pena, 2016. Exploring Life through Science Series, Senior
High School General Chemistry 1. Phoenix Publishing House.

Brady, James E.; Senese, Frederick; Jespersen, Neil D. (December 14,

2007). Chemistry: Matter and Its Changes. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN
9780470120941.

Licuanan, P. (2016). Teaching Guide Senior High School- General

Chemistry 1, pages 206-215. Commission on Higher Education. K to
12Transition Program Management Unit. 4th Floor, Commission on
REFERENCE/S Higher Education, C.P. Garcia Ave., Diliman, Quezon

Ralph S. Petrucci, William S. Harwood, F. Geoffrey Herring (2002). "3".

General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications (8th ed.).
Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0131988255

Teaching Essential Topics of General Chemistry 1, pages 6 5-73

Writing chemical equations as retrieved from

https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/writing-chemical-equation.html on
June 20, 2020.

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Written By: ROSALINE H. LAPORRE