116 Part II: Making and Remaking Compounds

Recognizing Reactions and Predicting Products

You can’t begin to wrap your brain around the unimaginably large number of possible chemi-
cal reactions. That’s good that so many reactions can occur, because they make things like
life and the universe possible. From the perspective of a mere human brain trying to grok all
these reactions, we have another bit of good news: A few categories of reactions pop up over
and over again. After you see the very basic patterns in these categories, you’ll be able to
make sense of the majority of reactions out there.

The following sections describe five types of reactions that you’d do well to recognize
(notice how their names tell you what happens in each reaction). By recognizing the patterns
of these five types of reactions, you can often predict reaction products given only a set of
reactants. There are no perfect guidelines, and predicting reaction products can take what is
called chemical intuition, a sense of what reaction is likely to occur based on knowing the
outcomes of similar reactions. Still, if you’re given both reactants and products, you should
be able to tell what kind of reaction connects them, and if you’re given reactants and the type
of reaction, you should be able to predict likely products. Figuring out the formulas of prod-
ucts often requires you to apply knowledge about how ionic and molecular compounds are
put together. To review these concepts, see Chapters 5 and 6.

Combination
Two or more reactants combine to form a single product, following the general pattern

A+B→C

For example,

2Na(s) + Cl2(g) → 2NaCl(s)

The combining of elements to form compounds (like NaCl) is a particularly common kind of
combination reaction. Here is another example:

2Ca(s) + O2(g) → 2CaO(s)

Compounds can also combine to form new compounds, such as in the combination of
sodium oxide with water to form sodium hydroxide:

Na2O(s) + H2O(l) → 2NaOH(aq)

Decomposition
A single reactant breaks down (decomposes) into two or more products, following the gen-
eral pattern

A→B+C

For example,

2H2O(l) → 2H2(g) + O2(g)

 Chapter 8: Getting a Grip on Chemical Equations 117
Notice that combination and decomposition reactions are the same reaction in opposite
directions.

Many decomposition reactions produce gaseous products, such as in the decomposition of

carbonic acid into water and carbon dioxide:

H2CO3(aq) → H2O(l) + CO2(g)

Single replacement
In a single replacement reaction, a single, more reactive element or group replaces a less
reactive element or group, following the general pattern

A + BC → AC + B

For example,

Zn(s) + CuSO4(aq) → ZnSO4(aq) + Cu(s)

Single replacement reactions in which metals replace other metals are especially common.
You can determine which metals are likely to replace which others by using the metal activity
series, a ranked list of metals in which ones higher on the list tend to replace ones lower on
the list. Table 8-2 presents the metal activity series.

Table 8-2 Metal Activity Series

Metal Notes
Lithium Most reactive metals; react with cold water to form hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
Potassium
Strontium
Calcium
Sodium
Magnesium React with hot water/acid to form oxides and hydrogen gas.
Aluminum
Zinc
Chromium
Iron Replace hydrogen ion from dilute strong acids.
Cadmium
Cobalt
Nickel
Tin
Lead
Hydrogen Non-metal, listed in reactive order.
Antimony Combine directly with oxygen to form oxides.
Arsenic
Bismuth
Copper
(continued)
118 Part II: Making and Remaking Compounds

Table 8-2 (continued)

Metal Notes
Mercury Least reactive metals; often found as free metals; oxides decompose easily.
Silver
Palladium
Platinum
Gold

Double replacement
Double replacement is a special form of metathesis reaction (that is, a reaction in which two
reacting species exchange bonds). Double replacement reactions tend to occur between
ionic compounds in solution. In these reactions, cations (atoms or groups with positive
charge) from each reactant swap places to form ionic compounds with the opposing anions
(atoms or groups with negative charge), following the general pattern

AB + CD → AD + CB

For example,

KCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq) → AgCl(s) + KNO3(aq)

Of course, ions dissolved in solution move about freely, not as part of cation-anion complexes.
So, to allow double replacement reactions to progress, one of several things must occur.

 One of the product compounds must be insoluble, so it precipitates (forms an insoluble

solid) out of solution after it forms.
 One of the products must be a gas that bubbles out of solution after it forms.
 One of the products must be a solvent molecule, such as H2O, that separates from the
ionic compounds after it forms.

Combustion
Oxygen is always a reactant in combustion reactions, which often release heat and light as
they occur. Combustion reactions frequently involve hydrocarbon reactants (like propane,
C3H8(g), the gas used to fire up backyard grills), and yield carbon dioxide and water as prod-
ucts. For example,

C3H8(g) + 5O2(g) → 3CO2(g) + 4H2O(l)

Combustion reactions also include combination reactions between elements and oxygen,
such as:

S(s) + O2(g) → SO2(g)

So, if the reactants include oxygen (O2) and a hydrocarbon or an element, you’re probably
dealing with a combustion reaction. If the products are carbon dioxide and water, you’re
almost certainly dealing with a combustion reaction.