B- 1

CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND EQUATIONS A- 1

CHAPTER

CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND EQUATIONS

INTRODUCTION
A substance can undergo a change by two ways -
(i) Physical changes - This is a change in physical properties such as shape, size, colour and state
of a substance.
m No new substance is formed.
m A physical change is generally reversible.
e.g. Boiling of water, condensation of water vapour, melting of ice, dissolution of sugar in water etc.
(ii) Chemical changes - This is a change in which one or more new substances with new properties are
formed.
m Original substance loses their nature and identity.
m Rearrangement of atoms take place.
m A chemical change can be reversible or irreversible.
A chemical change is also known as chemical reaction. e.g. Rusting of iron, souring of milk, burning of
fuel, cooking of food, respiration, digestion of food in our body, ripening of fruits etc.
Thus, the process involving a chemical change is called a chemical reaction. The presentation
of a chemical change in the equation is known as chemical equation.

Activity 1.
Take a magnesium ribbon. Clean it by rubbing with sand paper.
(a) Why should magnesium ribbon be cleaned before burning in air ?
Hold it with a pair of tongs. Burn it in the flame of a burner. Collect the ash so formed in a watch glass.
Precaution - Burn magnesium ribbon by keeping it as far as possible from your eyes.
(b) What is your inference?
Objective-To understand a chemical reaction. Dazzling Light

Inference - Burner Pair

(a) Magnesium ribbon (Mg) is cleaned before burning to remove the . .. Magnesium of
. . Ribbon tongs
layer of magnesium oxide, dirt etc. from its surface. It forms when .. .
. ..
magnesium ribbon remain exposed to moist air. Such layer obstructs ... White Powder
. ... . . (MgO)
burning of magnesium. ..
........
............ . China Dish
(b) On burning in air, magnesium ribbon gives dazzling white flame and
changes into a white powder (magnesium oxide, MgO) as a result of Fig. 1 Chemical Reaction - Burning
of Magnesium ribbon in the air.
reaction between magnesium and oxygen present in air.

Conclusion - This is a chemical reaction as original substance (Mg ribbon) loses its nature and identity.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CHEMICAL REACTION

When a chemical reaction occurs, following observations help us to determine whether a

chemical reaction has taken place.
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(1) Formation of a precipitate

(2) Change in colour
(3) Evolution of a gas
(4) Change in state
(5) Change in temperature or evolution / absorption of heat
(6) Sound, light may be produced.
(7) Change in smell or a new smell can be given off
(1) Formation of a precipitate

Activity - 2
Take lead nitrate solution in test tube. Add potassium iodide solution to this.
(a) What is your inference ?
KI Solution
Objective - A chemical reaction characterized by formation of a
precipitate.
Inference - When potassium iodide (KI) solution is added to a solution
of lead nitrate [ Pb(NO3)2 ], a yellow solid compound (or precipitate) of Pb(NO3)2 solution

lead iodide and a colourless potassium nitrate solution appear. Yellow ppt. of PbI2
Fig.2 Chemical reaction -
Chemical equation - Formation of a precipitate
Lead nitrate + Potassium iodide → Lead iodide + Potassium nitrate
(Colourless Solutions) (Yellow solid) (Colourless Solution)

Reactants Products
Conclusion - A precipitate is a solid insoluble product which separates out from the solution
during the reaction, characterises chemical reaction.

(2) Change in colour

When an apple cuts into pieces and keep it away for some times, it acquires brown colour. Similar
observations can be seen in the case of potatoes and brinjals.
(3) Evolution of a gas and change in temperature
(A) Evolution of a gas and exothermic reaction

Activity - 3
Take a few zinc granules in a conical flask. Add dilute hydrochloric Cork
acid (HCl) or sulphuric acid (H2SO4) in the conical flask.
(a) What do you observe ? Glass tube
H2 gas
(b) Touch the conical flask and observe any change in its Conical flask
temperature ? Dilute
sulphuric acid
Objective - A chemical reaction characterized by evolution of a
gas and by evolving heat (exothermic reaction). Zinc granules

Inference -
Fig. 3 Chemical reaction - Formation of
(a) When zinc granules react with dilute H2SO4 or HCl (acid), Hydrogen Gas.
a gas (H2) is evolved briskly. It can be confirmed by bringing a
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CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND EQUATIONS A- 3
lighted candle near the mouth of the flask, the gas evolved starts burning with a popping sound.
(b) This reaction liberates heat which can be observed when we touch the flask surface from outside, it
feels hot.
Chemical equation
Zinc + dilute HCl / H2SO4 → Zinc chloride / zinc sulphate + H2 (g) ↑ + Heat

Reactants Products
Conclusion - Reactions which produce heat are called exothermic reactions. Evolution of a gas
and liberation of heat characterize a chemical reaction.

Other examples of exothermic reactions -

m Burning of natural gas
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2 H2O (g) + heat

m Respiration is an exothermic reaction where glucose (food breaks into simpler substances such as
carbohydrate, that further break into glucose during digestion of food) combines with oxygen in the
cells of our body and release energy to work and play.
(C6H12O6) + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O (l) + heat
Glucose

m The decomposition of vegetable matter into compost is also an exothermic reaction.

(B) Endothermic reaction

Activity - 4
Take a small amount (about 2g) of barium hydroxide in a test tube. Add a little amount (about 1 g) of
ammonium chloride and mix them with the help of a glass rod. Touch the bottom of a test tube.
(a) What do you feel ? Is this an exothermic or endothermic reaction ?
Objective - To study endothermic reaction.
Inference - The reaction between barium hydroxide [ Ba(OH)2 ] and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) absorbs
heat and makes the flask cooler.
Chemical equation -
Barium hydroxide + Ammonium chloride + Heat → Barium chloride + Ammorium hydroxide

Reactants Products
This is an endothermic reaction.
Conclusion - Such reactions which absorb heat during the reaction are called endothermic reactions.
Absorption of heat characterizes a chemical reaction. Other example of an endothermic reaction is
photosynthesis.

(4) Change in state

When a wax candle is burned, its wax (solid) changes into carbondioxide (gas) and water vapour
(gas). Such chemical reactions can be identified by change in state (here, solid to gas) and by formation of
one or more new substances.
(5) Sound, light may be produced
Explosion of fireworks produces heat, light, sound and unpleasant gases characterize chemical reactions.
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(6) Change in smell or new smell may be given off

It happens when food is spoiled, formation of curd from milk, souring of curd, cooking of food,
fermentation of grapes etc.
It is important to note that a chemical reaction can show more than one observations at a
time. Both physical and chemical changes can take place simultaneously. For e.g. burning of a
candle.

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