Describing Chemical Reactions Using Equations – Lesson Summary

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Learning Objective

In this lesson we will learn how to represent chemical reactions as word equations and formula equations.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

  • Identify reactants and products in chemical reactions.
  • Represent chemical reactions as word equations.
  • Represent chemical reactions as formula equations.

 
describing chemical reactions using equations lesson contents

(Image: doethion, Adobe Stock)

Lesson Topics

1 | Chemical Reactions

2 | Describing Chemical Reactions

3 | Writing Chemical Equations

4 | Summary

Lesson Summary

  • A chemical change can also be referred to as a chemical reaction.
  • A chemical reaction involves one or more substances, known as reactants, interacting to form one or more new substances, known as products.
  • There are two main ways that chemical reactions can be described:
  • In full sentences.
  • As chemical equations.
  • The general format of a chemical equation is:
  • chemical-equation general formula
  • The reactants and products are separated by an arrow, which shows that a chemical change has taken place.
  • There are two types of chemical equations – word equations and formula equations.
  • Word equations contain the chemical names of reactants and products.
  • Formula equations contain the chemical symbols of reactants and products.

 
chemical equation diagram

(Header image: kytalpa, Adobe Stock)