Chemical Equations

Chemistry
Mrs. Coyle
Chemical Equations:
represent chemical reactions

 Word Equations
 Skeleton Chemical Equations
 Balanced Chemical Equations
 Word Equations: show the names of
the reactants and the products

Reactants  Products

Methane + Oxygen  Carbon Dioxide + Water

 The arrow (yield sign) and indicates that a

reaction took place.
Skeleton Chemical Equations
The formulas of the reactants and
products are written without indicating
their relative amounts.

Example:
CH4+ O2 CO2 +H2O
 Balanced Chemical Equations
 The chemical formulas and the relative amounts
of the reactants and products are written.
Example:
CH4 + 2O2 CO2 + 2H2O

 The coefficients indicate the relative amounts of

each substance.
 Equal number of atoms of each element must
appear on both sides of the balanced equation.
Why does a chemical reaction have to
be balanced?
 In any chemical or physical
change, mass is neither created or
destroyed

 Mass is CONSTANT

 Law of Conservation of Mass

(Antoine Lavoisier)
Combustion of Methane
CH4 + 2O2 CO2 + 2H2O

Atoms are rearranged!

 Example: Decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide in the presence of a catalyst.
 Word equation:

hydrogen peroxide  water + oxygen

Example: Decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide in the presence of a catalyst.
 Skeleton equation:

H2O2  H 2O + O2
Example: Decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide in the presence of a catalyst.
 Balanced Equation:

2H2O2  2H2O + O2
Example: Decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide in the presence of a catalyst.
Balanced equation showing
 the catalyst (MnO2)
 the state of the reactants and products:

MnO2
2H2O2(l)  2H2O (l) + O2 (g)