Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations The Law of Conservation of Mass: Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations Reactant 1 + Reactant 2 Product 1 + Product 2 Propane combusts in the presence of oxygen to produce water and carbon dioxide. C3H8 + 5O2 → 4H2O + 3CO2 Photo by Dinshaw Dadachanji
How would you describe a chemical reaction? Pb(NO3)2 + 2KI 2KNO3 + PbI2 Substance(s) react to form a new combination of substances
What is a skeleton equation? A skeleton equation states the reactants and the products before the equation is balanced. Important Fact: The skeleton equation and the balanced equation CAN be the same.
What are the reactants in a chemical reaction? Reactants are the substances that interact at the beginning of a reaction. Pb(NO3)2 + 2KI 2KNO3 + PbI2
Where are reactants written in a chemical equation? Reactants are on the LEFT side. Reactants Pb(NO3)2 + 2KI 2KNO3 + PbI2
What are the products in a chemical reaction? Products are the substances that are formed during the reaction. Pb(NO3)2 + 2KI 2KNO3 + PbI2
Where are products written in a chemical equation Products are on the RIGHT side. Products Pb(NO3)2 + 2KI 2KNO3 + PbI2
What words are used to show the reactants interacting in a chemical reaction? Reactants are easy to spot when you see, “reacts with” in the problem, but any chemical change vocabulary word can be used. Examples: Burns/ Combusts Rusts Decomposes Corrodes
What words are used to show the creation of products in a chemical reaction? Products are “produced” during a chemical reaction, but there are several words that can describe the formation of products. Examples: Produces Forms Yields