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Chemical Equations

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

What does an equation look like?

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.
Word equations

Word equations

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

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
1

Atomic Structure

2

Chemical Bonding

3

Quantitative Chemistry

4

Chemical Changes

5

Energy Changes

6

The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7

Organic Chemistry

8

Chemical Analysis

9

Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10

Using Resources

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