7.1 Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations (PART A)

Question 1

What do chemical equations represent?

Answer 1

A shorthand form to describe a chemical reaction.

Question 2

What are reactants?

Answer 2

The starting chemicals that are on the left side of the equations (starting side)

Question 3

What are products?

Answer 3

The chemicals that are produced FROM the reactants on the right side of the equation.

Question 4

What are coefficients?

Answer 4

Number in front of chemical formula used to describe relative amounts of substances in the reaction. 1 is omitted.

Question 5

How can chemical equations be interpreted?

Answer 5

Coefficients give relative amounts and can be thought as ratios of molecules or moles.

Question 6

Are ratios the same regardless of actual amounts?

Answer 6

Yes, you can have a big mixture of reactants or a small mixture of reactants and still get the same results.

Question 7

Chemical equations must be…

Answer 7

Balanced so that the law of conservation of mass is obeyed.

Question 8

Proper stoichiometric coefficients is…

Answer 8

Crucial for balancing.

Question 9

How to balance equations?

Answer 9

1. Change the coefficients of compounds before changing the coefficients of elements.
2. Treat POLYATOMIC ions that appear on both sides of the equation as units.
3. Count atoms and/or polyatomic ions carefully, and track their numbers each time you change a coefficient.

This flash card is subject to change once I actually get used to this to better summarize these steps in my own definition.

Question 10

When balancing equations make sure to use…

Answer 10

The smallest whole-number ratios.

Question 11

What do you mean smallest whole-number ratios for balancing equations?

Answer 11

Reducing all coefficient numbers in the chemical equations by dividing.

Question 12

What label is (s) in a chemical equations?

Answer 12

Solid

Question 13

What label is (l) in a chemical equation?

Answer 13

Liquid

Question 14

What label is (g) in a chemical equation?

Answer 14

Gas

Question 14

What label is (aq) in a chemical equation?

Answer 14

Aqueous (dissolved in water)

Question 14

What does delta (Δ) mean in a chemical equation?

Answer 14

Delta means heat.

Question 15

What are molecular/Ionic equations?

Answer 15

Any ionic compounds or acids are represented as neutral compounds using their chemical formula.

Question 16

In reality, ionic compounds are broken up into…

Answer 16

Individual ions when they are dissolved in water [have an (aq) next to them]

Question 17

Complete Ionic Equation

Answer 17

A chemical equation in which the dissolved ionic compounds are written as separated ions.

Question 18

What are net ionic equations?

Answer 18

Equation that includes only the species that are ACTUALLY involved in the reaction.

Question 19

What are spectator ions?

Answer 19

Ions which do not participate in chemical reactions and present the same on both sides of the reactions.