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What is a chemical reaction?

A chemical reaction is a change that takes place when
one or more substances (called reactants) form one or
more new substances (called products).
reactants

products

For example:

+
carbon

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oxygen

carbon dioxide

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How can you spot a chemical reaction?

Chemical reactions can appear very different.
As you observe a chemical reaction, you may detect:
a colour change
precipitate (solid) forming
energy being produced (fizzing, burning)
an odour being produced.

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Does mass change during a reaction?

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What is a word equation?

A word equation uses the names of the reactants and
products to show what happens in a chemical reaction.
For example, when a piece of
sulfur is burned in oxygen gas
it produces a white solid called
sulfur dioxide.
The word equation for this
reaction is:
sulfur

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oxygen

sulfur
dioxide

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What is a symbol equation?

A symbol equation uses the formulae of the reactants and
products to show what happens in a chemical reaction.
A symbol equation must be balanced to give the correct
ratio of reactants and products.

O2

SO2

This equation shows that one atom of sulfur (S) reacts

with one molecule of oxygen (O2) to make one molecule
of sulfur dioxide (SO2).

+
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What do state symbols show?

State symbols are added to a symbol equation to show
whether the reactants and products are:
solid symbol is (s)
liquid symbol is (l)
gas symbol is (g)
dissolved in water symbol is (aq).

S (s) + O2 (g)

SO2 (g)

With state symbols in place, this symbol equation now

shows that the sulfur is a solid, the oxygen is a gas and
the sulfur dioxide is also a gas.
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Chemical reactions true or false?

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