Heating of Steel Wool

Observed Actual
Predicted Changes Products of the Reaction
Changes

 Change in color  Color: burnt dark  Rust occurs when

 Change in size  Size: became oxygen hits iron, resulting
small and thin due in iron oxide. Rusting is
to change in the a slow version of the
position of Fe reaction of the burning
 Appearance: (oxidizing) metal strips
 Change in thinness, the flame that make up steel wool.
appearance could easily pass  4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3
through
 Temperature: a
 Change in pure-oxygen
temperature environment
makes the flames
a lot hotter, and
the iron burns
faster

Heating of Baking Soda

Predicted Changes Observed Actual Changes Products of the Reaction

 Change in color  As the temperature When heated at a certain

 Change in state increases, moist or temperature it begins to
 Change in liquid content start break down, forming
appearance to be seen from the sodium carbonate, water
 Change in tube. and carbon dioxide. This
temperature  The baking soda’s type of reaction is called a
appearance thermal decomposition.
became dry, ∆
because of the lost 2 NaHCO3 (s) →Na2 CO3
of water. (s) + H2 O(g) + CO2 (g)
 Of course, the test
tube had a dark butt
due to contact with
 the flame (heat).
 The heated baking
soda actually
produces carbon
dioxide and has
proved when we
put the flaming
wooden splint on
the mouth of the
test tube.
 There was no
change of color
seen

GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. What are the reactants involved in heating the steel wool?

 Iron (Fe) and Oxygen (O2)

2. How did heat affect the reactants?

 Steel wool is made of lots of thin strands, and so a lot more iron atoms are
in contact with the oxygen in the air. When you add heat (as from a flame),
you add energy to the iron, and that makes the iron more likely to react
with other elements.
Contact with oxygen is crucial to how fast and how hot the iron in
steel wool burns — a pure-oxygen environment makes the flames a lot
hotter, and the iron burns faster.
Anytime something burns, you're seeing oxidation. That means
some chemical element mixes with oxygen. Rust, for example, occurs
when oxygen hits iron, resulting in iron oxide.

3. How would you translate the chemical reaction of the burning of the steel wool
into a word equation and a balanced chemical reaction?
Word equation: Iron + Oxygen ---> Iron Oxide

Answer:
4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3
 Explanation:
Step 1: Tally the number of atoms based on subscript.
Fe + O2 → Fe2O3 (unbalanced)
left side: Fe = 1; O = 2
right side: Fe = 2; O = 3
Step 2: Start balancing the simple molecules first, in this case the O2
Fe + 3O2 → Fe2O3
left side: Fe = 1; O = 2 x 3 = 6
right side: Fe = 2; O = 3
Since there are now 6 O atoms on the left, there must also be 6 O atoms on the
right. Notice that the right hand is one big molecule so whatever coefficient you
would use to balance the O atoms, you would also needs to apply to the
bonded Fe atom.
Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3
left side: Fe = 1; O = 2 x 3 = 6
right side: Fe = 2 x 2 = 4; O = 3 x 2 = 6
Step 3: Now balance the rest of the equation.
4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3
left side: Fe = 1 x 4 = 4; O = 2 x 3 = 6
right side: Fe = 2 x 2 = 4; O = 3 x 2 = 6
The equation is now balanced.

4. What evidence suggests that at least two products were formed when baking
soda was heated?

 Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), is a chemical that can

undergo a decomposition reaction when heated. At temperatures above
176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius), sodium bicarbonate starts
to break down into three compounds, forming sodium carbonate
(Na2CO3), water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).

 Water – as the test tube make a contact to the flame, the more possible
the baking soda loses its moisture content making the liquid be formed
inside the test tube. Our both naked eyes have seen the formation of liquid
from the sodium bicarbonate.

 Carbon dioxide – when we placed the flaming wooden splint on the mouth
of the test tube, the carbon dioxide produced by the baking soda slowly
extinguish the fire from the wooden splint. Actually, the carbon dioxide that
is produced from the breakdown of the sodium bicarbonate made us
believe that through heat, NaHCO3 will decompose.
  By these two products from the heated baking soda, we can now prove
the decomposition of sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate, water
and carbon dioxide.

5. How would you translate the chemical reaction of the heating of the baking soda
into a word equation and a balanced chemical reaction?

∆
Word equation: Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) →sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) +
water (H2O)+ carbon dioxide (CO2)

∆
Balanced chemical reaction: 2 NaHCO3 (s) →Na2 CO3 (s) + H2 O (g) + CO2
(g)

6. How would you differentiate the types of chemical reactions involved in

procedures A and B?

 The procedure A which is the burning of the steel wool, the combination of
two elements , iron and oxygen, produce a single product which is the iron
oxide leading the chemical reaction be a direct-combination reaction.
Unlike the first procedure, procedure B clearly showed us a decomposition
type of reaction because of the breaking down of a compound which is the
sodium bicarbonate into three elements/compounds such as sodium
carbonate, water and carbon dioxide.
 Procedure A : A+B → 𝐴𝐵
Procedure B: AB → 𝐴 + 𝐵

CONCLUSION:

As clearly stated on this paper, we and you can now identify the reactants
and products of combination and decomposition types of reaction. By the
experiments done, we can say that Science was at its full confidence to amaze
us, knowing that the chemical reactions and their explanations would surely blow
you away. Furthermore, having knowledge about chemicals and chemical
compound of the things you encounter and use in your daily lives is greatly
important. In this case, it opened the door of understanding between the
environmental factors and how it affects chemicals. I can now conclude that we
live in a world where chemical reactions actually live. So as we can see,
chemical reactions are everywhere, and they help us survive from day to day,
whether that be in the industry or just in general. Now get a steel wool and a
 ∆
baking soda and start 4Fe + 3O2 → 2Fe2O3 and 2 NaHCO3 (s) →Na2 CO3 (s)
+ H2 O (g) + CO2 (g) be on your hands!

APPLICATION:
DECOMPOSITION
1. Hydrogen peroxide is a widely used disinfectant for minor cuts and scrapes. You
may have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide like the one pictured here in your
medicine cabinet at home. Did you ever notice that hydrogen peroxide is always
kept in a dark brown bottle like this one? Do you know why? The reason is that
hydrogen peroxide needs to be protected from light. If it isn’t, it will gradually
break down to waterand and oxygen. This is a decomposition reaction.
2. Carbonic Acid (H2CO3) is an ingredient in soft drinks. A decomposition reaction
takes place when carbonic acid breaks down to produce water(H2O) and carbon
dioxide (CO2). This occurs when you open a can of soft drink and some of the
carbon dioxide fizzes out. The equation for this reaction is:

H2CO3 → H2O + CO2

3. Another decomposition reaction occurs when water (H2O) breaks down to

produce hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gases . This happens when an electric
current passes through the water, as illustrated below. The equation for this
reaction is:

2 H2O → 2 H2 + O2

4. Anaerobic respiration is a set of chemical reactions that allows cells to gain

energy from complex molecules without oxygen. Your muscle cells perform
anaerobic respiration whenever you exhaust the oxygen being delivered to them,
such as during intense or prolonged exercise. Anaerobic respiration by yeast and
bacteria is harnessed for fermentation to produce ethanol, carbon dioxide, and
other chemicals that make cheese, wine, beer, yogurt, bread, and many other
common products.

The overall chemical equation for one form of anaerobic respiration is:

C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + energy

5. Lucky for us, we've developed a way to exploit one such decomposition reaction
in a manner that saves thousands of lives a year. Sodium azide, Na(N3)2,
explosively decomposes into nitrogen gas, N2, and sodium after a fairly small
impact. We use this process to inflate car airbags during a collision.
COMBINATION

6. Over time, iron develops a red, flaky coating called rust. This is an example of an
oxidation reaction. Other everyday examples include formation of verdigris on
copper and tarnishing of silver.Here is the chemical equation for the rusting of
iron:

Fe + O2 + H2O → Fe2O3. XH2O

7. An example of a synthesis reaction is the combination of sodium (Na) and

chlorine (Cl) to produce sodium chloride (NaCl). This reaction is represented by
the chemical equation: 2Na + Cl2 → 2NaCl.

8. A major component of smog is nitrogen dioxide, which is a toxic gas with a sharp
odor. Nitrogen dioxide can irritate the eyes and throat and trigger asthma attacks.
Where does this poisonous gas come from? It forms when nitric oxide—from
sources such as car exhaust—reacts with oxygen in the air.

The equation for this synthesis reaction is:

2NO + O2 → 2NO2

9. So far, the reactions you have seen have only one product molecule on the right-
hand side of the chemical equation. Be on the lookout for synthesis reactions
with multiple products. A familiar example of a more complex synthesis reaction
is the overall equation for photosynthesis:

CO2 + H2O → C6H12O6 + O2

10. Direct combination reactions aren't always just simple elements reacting to form
compounds. Another everyday example of a synthesis reaction is the reaction
that forms hydrogen sulfate, a component of acid rain. Here, the sulfur oxide
compound reacts with water to form a single product:

SO3 (g) + H2O (l) → H2SO4 (aq)