CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND

EQUATIONS

Chapter 1
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGE

Physical change is reversible.

Composition of matter remains the same.
A chemical reaction has taken place when -
change in state
change in colour
evolution of a gas
change in temperature
In a Chemical change new substances are formed .
Breaking of bonds and formation of new bonds take
place.
CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

 word-equation for the above reaction would be

Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium oxide
Reactants → Products
 Mg + O2 → MgO - Skeletal
 2Mg+ O2 → 2MgO - Balanced
Law of conservation of mass
• The total mass of each of the elements in the
reactants is same as the total mass of each of
the respective elements in the products.
• Number of atoms of the elements in the
reactants is the same as the number of atoms of
those elements in the products.
• During a chemical reaction atoms of one
element do not change into those of another
element. Nor do atoms disappear from the
mixture or appear from elsewhere.
Balanced Reactions
Mass can neither be created nor destroyed
in a chemical reaction
1) Fe + H2 O → Fe3O4+ H2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
Fe 1 3
H 2 2
O 1 4

atoms of O in reactants in products

initial 1 4
to balance 1X4 4

• Fe + 4 H2 O → Fe3O4+ H2
• Fe + 4H2 O → Fe3O4+ H2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
Fe 1 3
H 8 2
O 4 4

atoms of H in reactants in products

initial 8 2
to balance 8 2X4

• Fe + 4H2 O → Fe3O4+ 4 H2
• Fe + 4H2 O → Fe3O4+ 4H2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
Fe 1 3
H 8 8
O 4 4

atoms of Fe in reactants in products

initial 1 3
to balance 1X3 3

• 3 Fe + 4H2 O → Fe3O4+ 4H2

• 3Fe + 4H2 O → Fe3O4+ 4H2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
Fe 3 3
H 8 8
O 4 4

3Fe(s) + 4H2O(g) → Fe3O4(s) + 4H2(g)

• To make a chemical equation more informative,
the physical states of the reactants and products
are mentioned along with their chemical
formulae. The gaseous, liquid, aqueous and
solid states of reactants and products are
represented by the notations (g), (l), (aq) and
(s), respectively. 
• The word aqueous (aq) is written if the reactant
or product is present as a solution in water.
How to Balance Chemical Equations?

2) N2 + H2 NH3
Elements Number of atoms Number of atoms in
in reactancts (RHS) products (LHS)
N 2 1
H 2 3

atoms of H in reactants in products

initial 2 3
to balance 2X3 3X2

• N2 + 3 H2 2 NH3
• N2 + 3H2 2NH3
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
N 2 2
H 6 6

N2 + 3H2 2NH3
3) KClO3 KCl + O2
Elements Number of atoms Number of atoms
in reactancts in products (LHS)
(RHS)
K 1 1
Cl 1 1
O 3 2

atoms of O in reactants in products

initial 3 2
to balance 3X2 2X3
• 2KClO3 KCl + 3O2

Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms in

reactancts (RHS) products (LHS)
K 2 1
Cl 2 1
O 6 6

atoms of K in reactants in products

initial 2 1
to balance 2 1X2

• 2KClO3 2 KCl + 3O2

• 2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms in
reactancts (RHS) products (LHS)
K 2 2
Cl 2 2
O 6 6

2KClO3 2KCl + 3O2

4) AgNO3 + MgCl2 AgCl + Mg(NO3)2
Elements Number of atoms Number of atoms in
in reactancts (RHS) products (LHS)
Ag 1 1
N 1 2
O 3 6
Mg 1 1
Cl 2 1

atoms of O in reactants in products

initial 3 6
to balance 3X2 6
• 2AgNO3 + MgCl2 AgCl + Mg(NO3)2
Elements Number of atoms Number of atoms
in reactancts in products (LHS)
(RHS)
Ag 2 1
N 2 2
O 6 6
Mg 1 1
Cl 2 1

atoms of Ag in reactants in products

initial 2 1
to balance 2 1X2

• 2AgNO3 + MgCl2 2 AgCl + Mg(NO3)2

• 2AgNO3 + MgCl2 2AgCl + Mg(NO3)2
Elements Number of atoms Number of atoms in
in reactancts (RHS) products (LHS)
Ag 2 2
N 2 2
O 6 6
Mg 1 1
Cl 2 2

2AgNO3 + MgCl2 2AgCl + Mg(NO3)2

5) HCl + CaCO3 CaCl2 + H2O + CO2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
H 1 2
Cl 1 2
Ca 1 1
C 1 1
O 3 3

atoms of H in reactants in products

initial 1 2
to balance 1X2 2
• 2HCl + CaCO3 CaCl2 + H2O + CO2
Elements Number of atoms in Number of atoms
reactancts (RHS) in products (LHS)
H 2 2
Cl 2 2
Ca 1 1
C 1 1
O 3 3

2HCl + CaCO3 CaCl2 + H2O + CO2

 HOMEWORK

1. NaCl + F2 NaF + Cl2

2. C3H8 + O2 CO2 + H2O
3. AlBr3 + K2SO4 KBr + Al2(SO4)3
4. FeCl3 + NaOH Fe(OH)3 + NaCl
5. PbO + C Pb + CO2
6. HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 Ca(NO3)2 + H2O
7. NaOH + H2SO4 Na2SO4 + H2O
TYPES OF REACTIONS

Chemical reactions involve the breaking and

making of bonds between atoms to produce
new substances. 5 types -
• COMBINATION REACTIONS
• DECOMPOSITION REACTIONS
• DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS
• DOUBLE DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS
• REDOX REACTIONS
COMBINATION REACTION

• When two or more reactants combine in a

reaction to form a single product , it is called
a combination reaction. For example
• Burning of coal-
C(s) + O2(g) CO2(g)
• Formation of water-
2H2(g) + O2(g) 2H2O(l)
 Exothermic Reaction

• During exothermic chemical reactions heat is

given away when reactants are transferred
into products.

• CaO(s) + H2O (l) → Ca(OH)2(aq) + heat

(Quick Lime) (Slaked Lime)
• Respiration-
C6H12O6(aq) + 6O2(aq) → 6CO2(aq) + Energy
(Glucose)
 DECOMPOSITION REACTION
• The reaction in which there is only one
reactant giving rise to two or more products is
called a decomposition reaction.
• C12H22O11 → 12C + 11H2O
(sugar)
• 2FeSO4(s) + Heat → Fe2O3(s) + SO2(g) +
(Ferrous sulphate) (Ferric oxide)
SO3(g)
• Thermal, photolytic and electrolytic
decomposition
Endothermic Reaction
• During endothermic chemical reaction, heat
has to be supplied from outside.
• CaCO3(s) + heat → CaO(s) + CO2(g)

• 2Pb(NO3)2(s) + heat → 2PbO(s) + 4NO2(g)

+ O2(g)
(Lead nitrate) (Lead oxide)+(Nitrogen
Dioxide)
 Thermal Decomposition
• Thermal decomposition is a chemical reaction
where a single substance breaks into two or more
simple substances when heated.
• The reaction is usually endothermic because heat
is required to break the bonds present in the
substance.
Electrolytic Decomposition
• An electrolytic decomposition reaction is a type
of decomposition reaction in which the activation
energy for decomposition is provided in the form
of electrical energy.
• An example of an electrolytic decomposition
reaction is the electrolysis of water, which can be
represented by the following chemical equation:
2H2O → 2H2 + O2
Photolytic Decomposition
• It is a kind of decomposition reaction wherein the
reactant is broken down by absorbing energy
from photons into its constituents.
Sunlight
• 2AgCl(s) → 2Ag(s) + Cl2(g)
Sunlight
• 2AgBr(s) →  2Ag(s) + Br2(g)
White silver chloride turns grey in sunlight.
• The above reactions are used in black and white
photography.
DISPLACEMENT REACTIONS
• The reaction in which the place of ion of a less
reactive element in a compound is taken by
another more reactive element by formation of
its own ions is called displacement reaction.
• CuSO4(aq) + Fe(s) → FeSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
The iron nail become brownish in colour and the
blue colour of copper sulphate solution fades.
• Pb(s) + CuCl2(aq) → PbCl2(aq) + Cu(s)
(Copper chloride) (Lead chloride)
DOUBLE DISPLACEMENT REACTION
• The reaction in which the ions in the
reactants are exchanged to form a
precipitate are called double displacement
reactions.
• A white substance, which is insoluble in
water, is formed known as a precipitate.
Any reaction that produces a precipitate
can be called a precipitation reaction.
• Na2SO4(aq) + BaCl2(aq) → BaSO4↓(s) +
2NaCl(aq)
(Sodium sulphate)+(Barium chloride) →
(Barium sulphate)+(Sodium chloride)
• BaSO4 + K2CrO4 → K2SO4 + BaCrO4↓
(Potassium chromate) → (Potassium
sulphate) + (Barium chromate)
REDOX REACTION
• If a substance gains oxygen or loses
hydrogen during a reaction, it is said to be
oxidised.
• If a substance loses oxygen or gains
hydrogen during a reaction, it is said to be
reduced.
• One reactant gets oxidised while the other
gets reduced during a reaction. Such
reactions are called oxidation-reduction
reactions or redox reactions.
Examples of Redox Reactions

• 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
• CuO + H2 → Cu + H2O
• H2 + F2 → 2HF
• 2NaH → 2Na + H2
• ZnO + C → Zn + CO
Corrosion
• When a metal is attacked by substances
around it such as moisture, acids, etc., it is
said to corrode and this process is called
corrosion.
• The black coating on silver and the green
coating on copper are other examples of
corrosion.
• Corrosion causes damage to car bodies,
bridges, iron railings, ships and to all
objects made of metals, specially those of
iron. Corrosion of iron is a serious
problem.
Rancidity
• When fats and oils are oxidised, they
become rancid and their smell and taste
change.
• Usually substances which prevent
oxidation (antioxidants) are added to foods
containing fats and oil.
• Keeping food in air tight containers helps
to slow down oxidation.
• This prevents the food from becoming
rancid and hence chips are flushed with
nitrogen gas to prevent it from rancidity.
ALL THE BEST!!