6.

1 Chemical Equations
Objectives
 Relate chemical changes and macroscopic
properties.
 Demonstrate how chemical equations
describe chemical reactions.
 Illustrate how to balance chemical reactions
by changing coefficients.
Recognizing Chemical Reactions
 Chemical reactions occur all around you
and within you.
 Evidence:
– Color change
– Odor
– Temperature change
– Gas production
– Precipitate
 Writing Chemical Equations
 Reactant- substance that undergoes a
reaction, the starting substance(s).
 Product- the new substance formed from
the reactants.

 Rust
– Iron and oxygen react to form Iron (III) oxide
 Writing Chemical Equations
 Word Equations
 Chemical Equations

 First lets practice writing formulas.

 You MUST be able to write formulas in
order to write the equations
 Word Equation
 Word equation
– Vinegar + Baking soda  sodium acetate +
water + carbon dioxide
– Can be using common names or the chemical
names.
– Acetic acid + sodium hydrogen carbonate 
sodium acetate + water + carbon dioxide
 Word equations are the simplest form
 Chemical Equations
 Uses the chemical formulas for the reactants
and products.
 This is why you must be able to write
formulas.
 Baking soda and vinegar
HC2H3O2 + NaHCO3  NaC2H3O2 + H2O + CO2
 Chemical Equations
 It is also important to know the state the
compounds are in
– (g) – gas
– (s) – solid
– (l) – liquid
– (aq) – aqueous
 HC2H3O2 (aq) + NaHCO3 (s)  NaC2H3O2 (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g)
 Equations and Energy
 Some chemical reactions require an energy
input to occur
 Some chemical reaction produce energy
 Energy can be in the form of electricity
(input), heat or light.
 Endothermic reaction- absorbs energy
 Exothermic reaction- gives off energy
 Balancing Chemical Equations
 Balanced equation for the reaction of iron and
chlorine:

2Fe (s) + 3 Cl2 (g)  2FeCl3 (s)

 To balance an equation you must first find the

correct coefficients- the number written in front of
a reactant or product; tells the smallest number of
particles of the substance involved in the reaction.
 Steps for balancing equations
1. Write the skeleton equation for the reaction.
2. Count the atoms of the elements in the reactants.
3. Count the atoms of the elements in the products.
4. Change the coefficients to make the number of
atoms of each element equal on both sides of the
equation.
5. Write the coefficient in their lowest possible
ratio.
6. Check your work.