Chemical

Equations
A Chemist’s Shorthand way
of writing a Chemical Reaction.

SHS

©2005, Douglas Gilliland

Honors Physical Science
Sarasota High, Sarasota, FL
 Chemical Reaction
A process in
which substances
undergo physical
and chemical
changes that
result in the
formation of new
substances with
different physical
and chemical
properties. Fire is energy released in an
exothermic reaction
between substances in wood
and oxygen in the air.
 Chemical Equation
A chemical
equation is a
shorthand way of
writing a chemical
reaction using
chemical symbols,
formulas and
coefficients.
Rusting is a chemical reaction in which
iron and oxygen
chemicalcombine
coefficient yieldsto yield iron(III) oxide
chemical
symbol sign formula
4 Fe + 3 O2 → 2
diatomic
Fe O
2 3
REACTANTS element
PRODUCT
 The Law of
Conservation of Mass
Matter cannot be created
or destroyed
in a chemical reaction.
Atoms are simply rearranged
to form new substances.
Atoms and ions on Atoms and ions on
the reactant side = the product side
 Coefficients
Coefficients are whole numbers
placed in front of reactants and
products. They are used to
balance an equation to show
matter is conserved.
Hydrogen + Oxygen Yields Water
4 hydrogen atoms 4 hydrogen atoms

2H2 + O2 →2H 2O
2 oxygen atoms 2 oxygen atoms
 Counting Atoms
How many atoms/ions are present?

3 Ba3(PO4)2
Ba= 9 P= 6 O= 24
4(NH4)2SO4
N= 8 H=32 S= 4 O=16
 Steps in Writing
an Equation
1. Write the chemical symbols and or
formulas for the reactants and products.
2. Check for diatomic elements.
3. Balance the equation using coefficients.
Make sure atoms are equal on both sides.
aluminum + oxygen yields aluminum oxide

4 Al + 3 O2 → 2 Al 2O3
4 atoms of aluminum + 3 diatomic molecules of oxygen
yeilds 2 unit cells of aluminum oxide.
 #1 reason why
students get an
equation wrong:
diatomic elements
H N O F
When found as elements
(not in compounds), always use
Cl
a subscript 2 to show these that
these elements are always
Br
found in pairs.
I
Diatomic molecules
single
covalent
bond

H H H H H H

double
covalent
bond

O O O O O O
triple
covalent
bond

N N N N N N
Diatomic Elements
in Equations.
What is wrong with these equations?

✗ → 2NaCl
2Na + 2Cl
2Na + Cl2 → 2NaCl
✗
4N + ✗2O → 2N2O
2N2 + O2 → 2N2O
Al + ✗
3F → AlF3
2Al + 3F2 → 2AlF3
Reducing Coefficients
You must simplify coefficients when there is a
coefficient in front of EVERY reactant & product
and they are ALL divisible by the same number.
Can these coefficients be reduced?

✗4K + 2F → 4KF 2
2K + F → 2KF
✓2Ba + O → 2BaO
2
2

✗4Fe O → 8Fe + 6O
2 3 2
2Fe2O3→ 4Fe + 3O2
 Equations Review
A chemical equation is a
shorthand way of writing a
chemical reaction using
chemical symbols and
SHS
formulas.
Coefficients are used in
front of reactants and
products to balance the
equation to show that
matter is conserved.