Basics
What do chemical equations show?
Chemical changes
Which scientific law says matter cannot be created or destroyed in a reaction?
Conservation of mass
What type of reaction combines two substances into one product?
Synthesis
What symbol shows a substance is a solid?
(s)
What element is always needed for a combustion reaction?
Oxygen
Which substances are written on the left side of the arrow?
Reactants
When balancing an equation, what do you change to make both sides equal?
Coefficients
What type of reaction breaks one substance into two or more products?
Decomposition
What symbol shows a substance is a liquid?
(l)
When a hydrocarbon burns, what two products are always formed?
CO₂ and H₂O
Which substances are written on the right side of the arrow?
Products
What part of a formula should you never change when balancing?
Subscripts
What type of reaction has one element replacing another in a compound?
Single displacement
What symbol shows a substance is a gas?
(g)
In redox, what does oxidation mean?
Electron loss
In a formula, what do the small numbers (subscripts) tell you?
Atom count
When balancing, which type of element should you adjust last?
Free elements
What type of reaction swaps ions between two compounds?
Double displacement
What symbol shows a substance is dissolved in water?
(aq)
In redox, what does reduction mean?
Electron gain
In an equation, what do the big numbers in front (coefficients) tell you?
Molecule count
After balancing, what kind of ratio should the coefficients have? (general characteristic of the numbers)
Whole numbers
What type of reaction involves a metal and a nonmetal exchanging electrons?
Redox
What does the triangle (Δ) above the arrow in an equation mean?
Heat added
SOx compounds are oxides of which element?
Sulfur