Chemical Education Today
Letters
→) vs Equations (⫽)
Reactions (→
A paper by Toby (1) has referred to the important dis-
tinction between chemical reactions and chemical equations.
In this, Toby states, “Reactions are signified by an arrow
meaning ‘becomes’ … whereas equations are signified by an
equals sign…”, and has credited this distinction to Diemente
(2). However, neither author seems to have employed this
mode of distinction in a totally consistent way.
In chemistry, we may use chemical equations in various
ways. In some instances we regard it as very important that
our equation denotes the process that actually occurs, and
this would usually apply in kinetic studies. On the other
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hand, we may sometimes wish to evaluate the standard en-
thalpy change of a reaction process that could not conceiv-
ably be achieved in the laboratory. So for simplicity, let me
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confine my remarks to the area of kinetics, which is the one
to which Toby (1) has referred.
Some reactions are known to be elementary processes,
occurring in a single step involving precisely those species writ-
ten on the left-hand side of the balanced equation, and some
are known not to be. For the latter, an important and neces-
sary distinction is that between the overall reaction process
and the individual reactions steps by which this process is
achieved. This was recognized, for example, by the IUPAC
Sub-Committee on Chemical Kinetics, chaired by K. J.
1258 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 80 No. 11 November 2003 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
Laidler. However, the solution proposed in their report (3)
was that the two should be denoted by slightly different types
of arrow, one with a simple arrowhead (→) and the other with
a filled arrowhead (➝). At best, this method of distinction
would seem (no pun intended) a rather blunt weapon and in
certain fonts the difference might not be clearly apparent.
A recent chemical kinetics text (4) has adopted a differ-
ent solution, using an equals sign for the overall reaction:
H2 ⫹ Br2 ⫽ 2HBr
whereas an arrow, →, is used in each of the reaction steps
that are proposed to constitute the mechanism, and for any
elementary process. This would seem to be in accord with
the policy advocated by Toby (1).
Literature Cited
1. Toby, S. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 188–190.
2. Diemente, K. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75, 319–321.
3. Laidler, K. J. Pure and Applied Chem. 1981, 53, 753–771.
4. Logan, S. R. Fundamentals of Chemical Kinetics; Longman:
Harlow, England, 1996.
S. R. Logan
School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster
Coleraine, N. Ireland BT52 1SA
sr.logan@ulster.ac.uk