Reactants and Products: Understanding the Substances in Chemical Reactions
In chemistry, a reaction happens when substances called reactants change into new substances known as products.
Reactants are the starting materials in a reaction.
Products are the substances created after the reaction takes place.
It's important to identify these substances to understand how chemical processes work.
Reactants: These are the substances you start with in a chemical reaction.
For example, in the reaction of burning methane (which is known as combustion), the reactants are methane ((CH_4)) and oxygen ((O_2)).
The reaction looks like this:
[CH_4 + 2O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + 2H_2O]
Products: These are the new substances made from the reaction.
In the methane example, the products are carbon dioxide ((CO_2)) and water ((H_2O)).
During a chemical reaction, reactants go through a process that changes them into products. Here’s how it generally works:
Breaking Bonds: Energy is needed to break the bonds that hold the reactants together.
Rearranging Atoms: The atoms then rearrange to form new substances.
Forming New Bonds: New bonds are created, and this process often releases energy.
The Law of Conservation of Mass tells us that the total mass of all reactants equals the total mass of all products in a closed system. This rule is important when balancing chemical reactions.
About 90% of energy changes during chemical reactions involve heat. This is a key part of understanding how reactants and products behave.
Knowing these ideas is really important in Year 11 Chemistry. They set the stage for understanding and predicting different types of reactions, like synthesis, decomposition, and single-displacement reactions.
Being able to correctly identify reactants and products helps chemists control reactions and achieve the results they want.
Reactants and Products: Understanding the Substances in Chemical Reactions
In chemistry, a reaction happens when substances called reactants change into new substances known as products.
Reactants are the starting materials in a reaction.
Products are the substances created after the reaction takes place.
It's important to identify these substances to understand how chemical processes work.
Reactants: These are the substances you start with in a chemical reaction.
For example, in the reaction of burning methane (which is known as combustion), the reactants are methane ((CH_4)) and oxygen ((O_2)).
The reaction looks like this:
[CH_4 + 2O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + 2H_2O]
Products: These are the new substances made from the reaction.
In the methane example, the products are carbon dioxide ((CO_2)) and water ((H_2O)).
During a chemical reaction, reactants go through a process that changes them into products. Here’s how it generally works:
Breaking Bonds: Energy is needed to break the bonds that hold the reactants together.
Rearranging Atoms: The atoms then rearrange to form new substances.
Forming New Bonds: New bonds are created, and this process often releases energy.
The Law of Conservation of Mass tells us that the total mass of all reactants equals the total mass of all products in a closed system. This rule is important when balancing chemical reactions.
About 90% of energy changes during chemical reactions involve heat. This is a key part of understanding how reactants and products behave.
Knowing these ideas is really important in Year 11 Chemistry. They set the stage for understanding and predicting different types of reactions, like synthesis, decomposition, and single-displacement reactions.
Being able to correctly identify reactants and products helps chemists control reactions and achieve the results they want.