7.1 Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations (PART A) Flashcards
What do chemical equations represent?
A shorthand form to describe a chemical reaction.
What are reactants?
The starting chemicals that are on the left side of the equations (starting side)
What are products?
The chemicals that are produced FROM the reactants on the right side of the equation.
What are coefficients?
Number in front of chemical formula used to describe relative amounts of substances in the reaction. 1 is omitted.
How can chemical equations be interpreted?
Coefficients give relative amounts and can be thought as ratios of molecules or moles.
Are ratios the same regardless of actual amounts?
Yes, you can have a big mixture of reactants or a small mixture of reactants and still get the same results.
Chemical equations must be…
Balanced so that the law of conservation of mass is obeyed.
Proper stoichiometric coefficients is…
Crucial for balancing.
How to balance equations?
- Change the coefficients of compounds before changing the coefficients of elements.
- Treat POLYATOMIC ions that appear on both sides of the equation as units.
- 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.
When balancing equations make sure to use…
The smallest whole-number ratios.
What do you mean smallest whole-number ratios for balancing equations?
Reducing all coefficient numbers in the chemical equations by dividing.
What label is (s) in a chemical equations?
Solid
What label is (l) in a chemical equation?
Liquid
What label is (g) in a chemical equation?
Gas
What label is (aq) in a chemical equation?
Aqueous (dissolved in water)
What does delta (Δ) mean in a chemical equation?
Delta means heat.
What are molecular/Ionic equations?
Any ionic compounds or acids are represented as neutral compounds using their chemical formula.
In reality, ionic compounds are broken up into…
Individual ions when they are dissolved in water [have an (aq) next to them]
Complete Ionic Equation
A chemical equation in which the dissolved ionic compounds are written as separated ions.
What are net ionic equations?
Equation that includes only the species that are ACTUALLY involved in the reaction.
What are spectator ions?
Ions which do not participate in chemical reactions and present the same on both sides of the reactions.
