Chemical Equation
A Chemical Equation is a representation of Chemical Reactions. These equations are balanced to ensure that the same number of atoms of each element is present on both sides. It’s important to understand that in chemical reactions, no new matter is created, and atoms retain their identity.
Chemical Equations are distinct from numerical equations. In a typical chemical equation, the left-hand side signifies the reactants, while the right-hand side signifies the products. To accurately represent a Chemical Reaction, two important criteria must be met:
- Each reactant and product must be denoted by their chemical formulas (e.g., H2).
- The number of atoms of each element must be equal on both sides of the equation. Coefficients, written in front of chemical formulas, are employed to balance the quantity of atoms (e.g., 2Mg + O2 → 2MgO).
Furthermore, Chemical Equations utilize symbols like (s) for solid state, (aq) to denote substances dissolved in water, (l) for liquid state, and (g) for gaseous state.
Chemical Reactions
Chemical Reaction is the disruption of existing bonds within reactant molecules and the creation of fresh bonds in product molecules, culminating in the formation of a new substance. These reactions are all around us, spanning from the biochemical processes in our bodies that extract energy from food to the source of sunlight, where chemical reactions are used to produce the light we receive.
In this article, we will understand the meaning and characteristics of Chemical Reactions. This article will cover the various types of Chemical Reactions: Combination or Synthesis Reaction, Decomposition Reaction, Single Displacement Reaction, and Double Displacement Reaction. We also discuss factors affecting the rate of Reaction and practice questions to understand this article.
Table of Content
- What is a Chemical Reaction?
- Characteristics of a Chemical Reaction
- How would we know when a Reaction has taken place?
- Chemical Equation
- Balancing a Chemical Equation
- Types of Chemical Reaction
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