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Chemical Reactions & Equations

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Chemical Equations

A chemical equation shows what happens in a chemical reaction using symbols or words.

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What does an equation look like?

  • The chemicals that are reacting with each other are called the reactants.
    • The reactants are found on the left of equations.
  • The chemicals that are being made are called the products.
    • The products are found on the right of equations.
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Word equations

  • The word equation for the creation of sodium oxide is:
    • Sodium + oxygen → sodium oxide
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Symbol equations

  • Symbol equations must be 'balanced' (have the same number of atoms of each element on each side of the equation). This is because atoms aren't created or destroyed during chemical reactions.
  • The balanced symbol equation for the creation of sodium oxide is:
    • 4Na + O2 → 2Na2O

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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