Chemical Reactions

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What is a Chemical Reaction?

• A chemical reaction is a process in which one or more substances are converted to one or more different substances

• The starting substances are called the reactants, and the new substances that form are called the products

• A chemical reaction can include atoms, ions, compounds, or molecules of a single element

What Happens During a Chemical Reaction? 

• During a chemical reaction, chemical bonds between the atoms break in the reactants, forming new chemical bonds in the products

• The atoms rearrange to form new bond

• As the chemical bonds break, the positions of electrons change, resulting in products with properties that are different from the properties of the reactants

Signs of a Chemical Reaction

• Change in color

• Formation of a precipitate (A solid that comes from a solution when a chemical reaction occurs, typically involving two dissolved substances)

• Formation of a gas

• Odor change

• Temperature change

How to Write a Chemical Reaction?

• A chemical reaction is written in an equation using the chemical symbol of the element or compound participating in the reaction process

• The reactants are written on the left, and the products are written on the right

  • An arrow separates the two

• The coefficient in front of a compound represents the number of moles that are being consumed or formed

• The subscript represents the number of atoms of a particular element present in the compound

• Finally, balancing the equation ensures that the relationship between the reactants and the product is correct.