Name:
Topic 8 Day 1 – Describing Chemical Reactions
Chemistry
SC.912.P.8.2 – ​Differentiate
between physical and chemical
properties and physical and
chemical changes of matter.
SC.912.P.10.12 – ​Differentiate
between chemical and nuclear
reactions.
Period: Date:
Power Notes
MAIN IDEA:​ The student will read chemical equations and provide requested
information contained in the equation including information about substances,
reactants, products, and physical states. The student will convert symbolic
equations into word equations and vice versa. The student will describe the roles of
subscripts and coefficients in chemical equations.
Chemical Reactions Chemical Equations 
Chemical reaction is the process  Chemical equation describes a 
by which one or more substances  chemical reaction using symbols 
are changed into different  and formulas, and coefficients 
substances.  that indicate the relative 
  molecular or molar amounts of 
  reactants and products. 
Indications of a Chemical Reaction 
● Evolution of energy in the form of heat and/or light 
● Production of a gas (bubbles). 
● color change 
● Formation of a precipitate 
Law of Conservation of Matter 
A chemical reaction obeys then Law of Conservation of Matter 
➔ Matter is neither created nor destroyed 
➔ Mass of reactants = mass of products 
➔ Only the elements present in the reactants will form the new 
products. 
Word and Formula Equations 
Word equation: an equation in which the reactants and 
products of a reaction are represented by words 
Example:iron II phosphate reacts with aluminum nitrate to produce iron II 
nitrate and aluminum phosphate 
Formula equation:represents the reactants and 
 products of a chemical reaction by their symbols & 
formulas 
 

Example:Fe 3(PO4) 2 + Al(NO3) 3 à Fe(NO3) 2 + AlPO4 

Balanced Formula equation:uses coefficients to allow 

conservation of mass 

Example:Fe 3(PO4) 2 + 2 Al(NO3) 3 à 3 Fe(NO3) 2 + 2 

AlPO4 
 
 
Symbols Used in Chemical Equations 
à yields  (aq) aqueous 
   
(s) solid  (g) gas 
   
(l) liquid 
 
  
Diatomic Elements 
There are seven common  •hydrogen (H​2​)   
elements that are called  •oxygen (O​2​)   
the “diatomic elements”.  •nitrogen (N​2​) 
•fluorine (F​2​)   
Whenever they are pure 
•chlorine (Cl​2​)  
elements and appear alone  •bromine (Br​2​) 
(NOT in a compound) in an  •iodine (I​2​) 
equation, their symbol 
contains two atoms rather 
than one. 
 
 
Balancing Chemical Equations 
Adding coefficients to a chemical equation is known as balancing. 
 

★ Total # of atoms of each element on the reactant side of the 

equation = the total # of atoms of each element on the product 
side of the equation. 
 

 
 
How to Balance a Chemical Equation 
1. Count atoms of all elements that appear on the reactant and 
product side of the equation—make an inventory list. 
 
  

2. Add coefficients in front of those chemical formulas whose 

elements need to be balanced. 

a) Never change subscripts!!!! 

b) Always balance elements other than oxygen and 

hydrogen first. 
 

c) Leave hydrogen and oxygen for last. 

3. Check your work—count all atoms again to ensure equation is 

balanced 

4. You want the lowest ratio of coefficients! 

 
Balancing Equations Practice Problems 
a) Ca ​(s)​ + S ​(s)​ → CaS ​(s)   
 

b) H​2 (g) +
​ F​2 (g) →
​ HF (g)
​    

c) Al ​(S) ​+ ZnCl​2 (aq) ​→ Zn ​(s)​ + AlCl​3 (aq)   

d) N​2​H​4​ + O​2​ → N​2 (g) +

​ H​2​O   
 
 
Formula to Word Equation Practice Problems 
a) CS​2(l)​ + O​2(g) ​→ CO​2(g) ​+ SO​2(g)  liquid carbon disulfide reacts with 
oxygen gas to 
produce carbon dioxide gas and 
sulfur dioxide gas and sulfur 
dioxide gas 

b) NaCl​(aq)​ + AgNO​3(aq) →
​ ​ AgCl​(s)  aqueous sodium chloride reacts 
NaNO​3(aq) +
with aqueous 
silver nitrate to yield aqueous 
sodium nitrate and 
solid silver chloride 
 
Balancing a Formula Equation Practice Problem 
Example 3: 
hydrogen gas reacts with chlorine gas to produce hydrogen chloride gas 

Step 1:Turn word equation to formula equation 

 
__ H2(g) + __ Cl 2(g) à __ HCl (g) 
 

Step 2:Add coefficients where needed 

 H2(g) + Cl 2(g) à 2 HCl (g) 
 

Step 3:check your work 

 
Independent Work 
 
1. Mothballs are commonly   
used to preserve clothing in   
“off-season.” We recognize   
mothballs due to its smell  C10 H8 
because of a chemical 
compound known as 
Naphthalene, C​10​H8​ ​. What 
are the different elements 
found in naphthalene and 
how many atoms of each 
are found in the formula? 

2. Do you think a chemical   

reaction occurs every time  yes i think it does  
two substances are placed   
together in a reaction   
vessel? 

3. Transfer the following symbolic equations into word equations. 

a) H​2​SO​4(aq) ​+ NaCN​(aq) → ​HCN​(aq) ​+  Sulphurous acid+Hydrocyanic acid+Nitrous 

Na​2​SO​4(aq)   acid+Phosphoric acid yield to Iodic 
acid+Phosphorus acid+Hypobromous acid 

b) Cu(s) + AgNO​3(aq) →​ Ag​(s) ​+  Copper + Silver nitrate yields copper (II) 
Cu(NO​3​)​2(aq)   nitrate with solid silver" 

c) Fe​(s) ​+ O​2(g) →​Fe​2​O​3(s)  Eisen+Ferrum, Hierro Carbonyl iron m 

yield Electrolytic iron, . 

4. Transfer the following equations from word equations into symbolic 

equations. 

(a) Solid calcium metal is placed in  Ca(s)+2H20(i) yield Ca(OH) 2(S)+H2(g) 
liquid water to produce aqueous 
calcium hydroxide and hydrogen 
gas. 

(b) Gaseous sodium hydroxide is  Na + Cl2→ 2NaCl  

mixed with gaseous chlorine to 
produce aqueous solutions of 
sodium chloride and sodium 
hypochlorite plus liquid water. 
 

(c) Solid xenon hexafluoride is  XeF 6 (s) + 3 H 2 (g) → Xe (g) + 6 HF (g) 
mixed with liquid water to produce 
solid xenon trioxide and gaseous 
hydrogen fluoride.  

5. Did you know that you can  (NH4)3CrO7(S) yields CrO3(s)+N2(G) 4H2O(g) 
simulate a volcanic eruption in a 
lab that looks like the real thing? A 
 source of heat is gently placed into 
a mound of ammonium dichromate. 
The ammonium dichromate 
decomposes to solid chromium (III) 
oxide, nitrogen monoxide gas, and 
water vapor. Write the symbolic 
reaction for the "volcanic 
eruption". 

6. Explain in your own words why it   

is essential that subscripts remain 
constant but coefficients can 
change.  

7. Which set of coefficients will  a) 1, 1, 1, 1  

properly balance the following  b) 1, 3, 2, 2  
equation?   c) 1, 3.5, 2, 3  
d) 2, 7, 4, 6  

When properly balanced, what is  a) 4 

the sum of all the coefficients in  b) 7 
the following chemical equation?   c) 9 
d) None of the above  
 
 

When the following equation is  a) 1  

balanced, what is the coefficient  b) 3  
found in front of the O​2​?   c) 5  
d) 7  

10. Balance the following equations. 

(a) XeF​6(s) ​+ H​2​O​(L) →​XeO​3(s) ​+ HF​(g)  XeF 6 + 3 H 2 O → XeO 3 + 6 HF

(b) Cu​(s) ​+ AgNO​3(aq) → ​Ag​(s) ​+  Cu (s) +AgNO3 (aq) = Cu(NO3)2 (aq) + Ag (s)  
Cu(NO​3​)​2(aq)    

(c) Fe​(s) ​+ O​2(g) → ​Fe​2​O​3(s)   O2 = C6H5OH + CO2 + H2O 

(d) Al(OH)​3 ​+ Mg​3​(PO​4​)​2 → ​AlPO​4 ​+  Al + HCl = AlCl3 + H2: 2Al + 6HCl = 2AlCl3 + 
Mg(OH)​2  3H2