Chemical Equations
Chemistry: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 1.1.4
Chemical Equations
A chemical equation shows what happens in a chemical reaction using symbols or words.
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
- The word equation for the creation of sodium oxide is:
- Sodium + oxygen → sodium oxide
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
Test yourself on Chemical Equations
Where are the reactants found in a chemical equation?
What are the 2 types of chemical equations?
What does a chemical equation show?
Select the correct statement for each pair