Chemical Reactions and Equations

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What happens during a chemical reaction?

Atoms are rearranged to form new substances, and chemical bonds are broken and formed.

What is a chemical equation?

A symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, with reactants on the left and products on the right.

What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction, meaning the mass of reactants equals the mass of products.

What do we call numbers placed before reactants and products in a chemical equation?

Coefficients, which indicate the number of units of each substance involved.

Why is balancing chemical equations important?

To ensure the Law of Conservation of Mass is obeyed by having the same number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation.

What is a synthesis reaction?

A type of chemical reaction in which two or more substances combine to form a new compound.

Give an example of a decomposition reaction.

The breakdown of water into hydrogen and oxygen: 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂.

What is a single displacement reaction?

A reaction where one element replaces another in a compound, such as Zn + CuSO₄ → ZnSO₄ + Cu.

What is a double displacement reaction?

A reaction where ions in two compounds exchange places, such as AgNO₃ + NaCl → AgCl + NaNO₃.

What do we call a reaction that releases energy to the surroundings?

Exothermic reaction.

What is an endothermic reaction?

A reaction that absorbs energy from its surroundings, such as photosynthesis.

How is activation energy defined?

The minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.

Which product is formed from the reaction between metals and acids?

Salt and hydrogen gas are produced.

What is the pH scale used for?

To measure the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, ranging from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline), with 7 being neutral.

What is a catalyst's role in a reaction?

To lower the activation energy and increase the rate of the reaction without being consumed.