Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences Revision checklists

Chapter C4  Chemical reactions

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Chemical reactions differ from physical changes
such as melting or dissolving because new chemical
substance(s) are produced. There is no loss or gain
in total mass during a chemical reaction (the law of
conservation of mass). Reactions involve an energy
change – with most reactions being exothermic and
only a few being endothermic. There is a variety of
different types of chemical reaction.
Synthesis and decomposition represent opposite
processes.

Neutralisation reactions involve the reaction of an

acid with a base to produce a salt and water only.

Insoluble salts can be produced by precipitation

reactions.

Reactive elements can displace other, less reactive,

elements from their compounds in displacement
reactions.
Combustion reactions involve reaction with oxygen
and include the biologically important reaction
known as respiration. Combustion reactions that
produce a flame are known as burning.
Redox reactions involve the loss or gain of oxygen by
substances – oxidation being the gain of oxygen and
reduction being the loss of oxygen.
Some substances are reducing agents (for example,
hydrogen, carbon), while others are oxidising agents
(for example, oxygen, potassium manganate(vii)).
Reactions can be represented by word equations and
balanced chemical equations. Balancing an equation
involves making sure that there are the same numbers
of each type of atom involved on the products side as
there are on the reactants side of the equation.
Equations can be made more informative by
including state symbols.

For reactions involving ions (for example,

neutralisation and precipitation reactions), an
equation can be simplified to include only those
ions taking part in the reaction (ionic equation) – the
‘spectator ions’ are eliminated from the equation.
Metals conduct electricity whereas non-metals
(except graphite) do not. In metallic conductivity, the
current is produced by electrons moving through the
solid or liquid metal.

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Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences Revision checklists

Chapter C4  Chemical reactions (continued)

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There is a different type of conductivity, known as
electrolytic conductivity, in which ionic compounds
conduct when molten or dissolved in water.
Electrolytic conductivity involves the movement of
ions and results in a chemical change (electrolysis).
Electrolysis is the breakdown of an ionic compound,
molten or in aqueous solution by the use of
electricity. Liquids or solutions can be classified as
electrolytes or non-electrolytes.
An electrolytic cell consists of a positive electrode
(anode) and a negative electrode (cathode) and an
electrolyte. The products of electrolysis appear at
the electrodes where ions are discharged. There are
various rules that help us to predict the products
of electrolysis, but generally metals or hydrogen
are always produced at the negative electrode (the
cathode).
Electroplating can be used to produce a protective
and/or decorative layer of one metal on another.

The definitions of oxidation and reduction can

be extended to include reactions involving the
transfer of electrons – oxidation is the loss of
electrons and reduction is the gain of electrons (OIL
RIG). The reactions taking place at the electrodes
during electrolysis can be regarded as oxidation or
reduction reactions because the ions either lose or
gain electrons when they are discharged. Oxidation
takes place at the positive electrode (the anode) and
reduction at the negative electrode (the cathode).
Electrolysis is important for the industrial extraction
of very reactive metals (for example, aluminium).

The industrial extraction of aluminium and the

production of sodium hydroxide and chlorine.
The products of electrolysis can depend on the
concentration of ions in the solution.

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