Chemical Reactions

Flashcards about chemical reactions; its types, uses, and environmental impacts.

What are reactants?

Starting materials in a chemical reaction.

What are products?

New materials created in a chemical reaction.

What is a reversible reaction?

A reaction where reactants form products and products form reactants simultaneously.

List some USEFUL chemical reactions.

Combustion, smelting, fermentation, photosynthesis, neutralization, cooking, respiration

List some UNNEEDED Chemical Reactions

Rusting of iron, corrosion, neutralization, acid rain, greenhouse effect, decay and decomposition.

What is combustion?

A chemical reaction between substances, usually including oxygen, that produces heat and light.

What is the energy being released during the combustion of wood?

The fire.

What are fossil fuels?

Remains of dead animals and plants from thousands of years ago.

What are fossil fuels known for?

They are non-renewable and cause pollution when burned

What are the steps of the greenhouse effect?

Radiation from the sun warms the Earth, radiation reflects back out toward space, some radiation is trapped by the atmosphere, and layers of gas stop thermal energy from escaping.

How does acid rain occur?

Combustion products become acidic oxides, which dissolve in water in clouds, forming acids that fall as acid rain.

How can the greenhouse effect and acid rain be lessened?

Reduce deforestation, plant more forests, and reduce burning of fossil fuels; don't burn coal, build more efficient power stations, and fit cars with catalytic converters.

Give an example of a reversible chemical reaction.

Thermal decomposition