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CHEMISTRY 11 CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND EQUATIONS NOTES

6.1 Intro to Chemical Equations

A chemical reaction is a process in which one or more substances are converted into new
substances with different physical and chemical properties.

During a chemical reaction, bonds are broken, atoms are rearranged, and new bonds are
formed.

Some evidence that a chemical reaction have occurred are:

- Temperature change
- Colour change
- Phase change

A Chemical Equation is used to represent a reaction. The general form is as follows:

Reactants Products

Reactant: a substance that enters into a chemical reaction

Product: a substance that is produced by a chemical reaction

The equation can use either words or symbols to represent the reaction:

Example: 2Na + Cl2 2NaCl

Sodium and chlorine react to form sodium chloride

NOTE: Dont forget the diatomics!

Symbols/Words

+, plus, add, react, and

, produces, forms makes as time passes

3H2O

3 is the coefficient: the number of molecules or moles of water

2 is the subscript: the number of hydrogen atoms

6.2 The Conservation Laws

Some vocabulary:

System: the part of the universe being studied

Ex. If I want to know about how a beaker of hot water cools over time, the beaker and the
water are the system. If I want to know how the air changes temperature as this
occurs, then the system is the beaker, the water, and the air.

2 types of systems:

a) Open: a system where things (mass, energy) can enter and leave (think of a beaker on a
hotplate)
b) Closed: a system where nothing can enter or leave (think of a thermos)

4 Conversation Laws for Closed Systems:

The Law of Conservation of:

1) Mass: the mass at the beginning and the end of a chemical reaction is the same (mass of
reactants = mass of products)

2) Atoms: the total number and type of atoms in a closed system does not change during a
chemical reaction (number of atoms on the reactant side equals the number of atoms on
the product side)

3) Electrical charge: the total electrical charge in a closed system does not change during a
chemical reaction (the overall charge of the reactants is equal to the overall charge of the
products)

4) Energy: the total energy in a closed system does not change during a chemical reaction
(the type of energy may change, but the total amount remains constant energy cannot be
destroyed or created)
6.3 Balancing Chemical Reactions

- ensures that mass, atoms, and electrical charge are conserved!

Step 1: Right out the chemical equation

Step 2: Draw a line down the middle where the arrow is

Step 3: List the atoms that are on the reactant side. (using the order given below)

Step 4: Using the same order as the reactant side, list the atoms that are on the product side.

Step 5: Write out how many of each atom you have on either side

Step 6: Balance from top to bottom, remembering to make changes for all atoms that are
affected.

Some key tips:

Balance metals first and then non-metals (left to right along the periodic table)
Then do polyatomics (if the same polyatomic ion is on both sides (reactants and products)
then dont split it up)

Ex. Na2SO4 + Ba(NO3)2 --> 2NaNO3 + BaSO4 (keep NO3 and SO4 together)

Ca(OH)2 + 2HCl CaCl2 + 2H2O (separate OH into H and O)

Balance C, H, and then O last

NOTE: You CANNOT change subscripts when trying to balance the number of atoms (it
changes the compound!). You can ONLY change the COEFFICIENTS!

A coefficient affects every atom in the formula that it is beside

Ex. 3H2O 3Na3PO4 2Mg(OH)2

Must always reduce coefficients to lowest number

Ex. 4H2 + 2O2 4H2O must become 2H2 + O2 2H2O