Name:______________________________________________________Date:________Period:___________

Types of Chemical Reactions POGIL

Do atoms rearrange in predictable patters during chemical reactions?
Why?

Recognizing patterns allows us to predict future behavior. Weather experts use patterns to predict
dangerous storms so people can get their families to safety. Political analysts use patterns to
predict election outcomes. Similarly, chemists classify chemical equations according to their
patterns to help predict products of unknown but similar chemical reactions.

Pre-Knowledge
1.Define the following terms from your own thoughts as they are commonly used in the
English language:
a. Synthesis (combination):
b. Decomposition:
c. Single Replacement:
d. Double Replacement:

Model 1: Types of Reactions

Chemical Reactions

Dance

Key Questions
1. Look at the chemical reactions above; describe the pattern your group sees.
 2. Using a term (vocabulary word) you defined under “pre-knowledge”, how would you
classify this group of chemical reactions?

Analogy—Dancing with Reactants

When you are thinking about the four different types of reactions, I’d like you to think about their
similarity to dancing (yes, dancing).

The Dance…
Adam and Barbara were both single. No one was talking about “Adam and Barbara” being together
before the dance. They both go to the dance alone. However, they meet at just the perfect time
when a song they both adore is playing. They end up holding hands the entire dance. After that
fateful meeting, no one ever sees Adam without Barbara, they are forever referred to as “Adam and
Barbara.”

Key Questions
3. If A and B represent elements, describe what is happening chemically.

4. Represent the drama of Adam and Barbara as a chemical equation. Use A to represent Adam
and B to represent Barbara.

*Stop here to check your answer with your teacher.

5. A student writes the following incorrect chemical equation for the synthesis of Calcium
oxide.

Ca + O2  CaO2

Another student writes the following incorrect synthesis reaction of magnesium oxide.

Ca + O  CaO

a. What is the correct formula for calcium oxide? Hint: criss-cross method

b. What is the correct formula for elemental oxygen?

c. Describe the error made by the first student.

 d. Describe the error made by the second student.

e. Write the correct balanced chemical equation for the synthesis of calcium oxide.

*Stop here to check your answer with your teacher.

Model 2: Types of Reactions

Chemical Reactions Dance

Key Questions
1. Look at the chemical reactions above; describe the pattern your group sees.

2. Using a term you defined under “pre-knowledge”, how would you classify this group of
chemical reactions?

The Dance Continues…

Later that same evening, Adam and Barbara, who have been “the couple” forever, have a heated
quarrel and break up.

3. If A and B represent elements, describe what is happening chemically.

4. Represent the drama of Adam and Barbara as a chemical equation. Use A to represent
Adam and B to represent Barbara.

5. How would you classify the reaction between A and B using the terms from the pre-
knowledge?
 *Stop here to check your answer with your teacher.

Model 3: Types of Reactions

Chemical Reactions Dance

Key Questions
1. Look at the chemical reactions above; describe the pattern your group sees.

2. Using a term you defined under pre-knowledge, how would you classify this group of
chemical reactions?

3. What type of reaction is represented in the picture above (the terms from the pre-knowledge)?
Write your own analogy for the reaction illustrated in the picture. (Hint: name the new guy
Carter)

4. Write a chemical reaction for this scenario using A, B, and C.

*Stop here to check your answer with your teacher.

5. A student writes the following incorrect chemical equation for a single replacement reaction
between lithium bromide and fluorine.

2LiBr (aq) + F2 (g)  2Li (s) + 2FBr (g)

a. In a single replacement reaction, part of an ionic compound is removed and replaced by a new
element. Label which elements are metals and which elements are non-metals.
 b. What element should fluorine replace in lithium bromide?

c. What is wrong with the student’s prediction of the products in the above reaction? (Hint: think
about the definition of an ionic compound)

d. Write the correct balanced equation for the single replacement reaction between lithium
bromide and fluorine.

*Stop here and wait for further instructions from your teacher.
Model 4: Types of Reactions

Chemical Reactions Dance

Key Questions
1. Look at the chemical reactions above; describe the pattern your group sees.

2. What types of compound is found in all the chemical reactions above?

3. Using a term you defined under “pre-knowledge”, how would you classify this group of
chemical reactions?

The Dance Continues…

In their blissful state, Adam and Barbara (AB) try to help Carter and Diana (CD) reconcile their
differences. After everyone agrees to stop quarreling, Adam asks Diana to dance. Carter and
Barbara decided that they will dance together, too.

1. Represent Adam and Barbara’s attempt to reconcile Carter and Diana’s differences as a
chemical equation. Write a chemical reaction for this scenario using A, B, C, and D.

2. How would you classify the reaction using the terms from the pre-knowledge?

*Stop here to check your answer with your teacher.

3. A student writes the following incorrect chemical equation for a double replacement reaction
between iron (III) bromide and sodium hydroxide solutions.
 FeBr3 (aq) + NaOH (aq)  FeOH (s) + NaBr3 (aq)

a. What is wrong with the chemical formula(s) of the product(s) predicted by this
student? (Hint: think criss-cross method)

b. Write the correct equation for the double replacement reaction between iron (III)
bromide and sodium hydroxide.

*Stop here and wait for further instructions from your teacher.
Model 5: Combustion Reactions

1. What are the products in all of the combustion reactions in Model 5?

2. What reactant is common in all of the combustion reactions in Model 5?

3. The “fuel” in most combustion reactions is a hydrocarbon. Using the examples in Model 5,
write a description for the classification of substances known as hydrocarbons.

*Stop here and wait for further instructions from your teacher.

Individual Assessment
1. Consider the following chemical reaction written as a word equation.
diphosphorus pentoxide + water → phosphoric acid

a. Identify the type of chemical reaction from Model 1-4 that would describe this
reaction.
b. Write chemical formulas under the names of the substances in the word equation.
c. Balance the chemical equation.

2. Identify each of the reactions below as synthesis (S), decomposition (D), single replacement
(SR), or double replacement (DR).