Balancing Act
In the chemical equation 2H2 + O2 --> 2H2O, the number 2 in front of H2 is called this:
What is a "coefficient"?
In this simple type of reaction, two or more reactants combine together to form just one single product (A + B --> AB).
What is synthesis or combination reaction?
This famous law states that matter cannot be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction
What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?
In the sentence-like equation "Hydrogen + Oxygen --> Water," Hydrogen and Oxygen play this role because they are what you start with.
What are reactants?
This liquid is known as the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid on Earth
What is water (H2O)?
To keep a chemical equation balanced, you can change the coefficients, but your must NEVER change these small numbers written at the bottom right of an element symbol
What are subscripts?
A reaction where one complex substance breaks down into two or more simpler parts (AB --> A + B) is called this:
What is a decomposition reaction?
The starting materials located on the left side of the arrow in a chemical equation are called this
What are reactants?
In the reaction where baking soda and vinegar mix to make carbon dioxide gas, the carbon dioxide gas is classified as this.
What is a product?
Found on the periodic table, helium and neon belong to this gas family known for rarely reacting with other elements?
Hint: column 18
In the balanced equation CH4 + 2O2 --> CO2 + 2H2O, this is the total number of oxygen atoms on the product side
What is 4?
What is a combustion reaction?
The new substances formed on the right side of the arrow in a chemical equation are called this.
What are products?
The arrow (-->) in a chemical reaction equation translates to "yields" or this everyday one-word verb.
What is "makes" or "produces"?
On the pH scale, a solution with a pH of 2 is considered a strong one of these
To balance the simple equation N2 + ____ H2 --> 2NH3, this number needs to go in the blank
What is 3?
In the reaction Zn + 2HCl --> ZnCl2 + H2, zinc kicks out hydrogen to take its place, making it this type of reaction
What is a single-replacement or single-displacement reaction?
The total mass of the reactants always equals the total mass of the products because these basic building blocks of matter are simply rearranged, not created or destroyed.
What are atoms?
The symbol (g) written after a chemical formula tells you the substance is in this state of matter.
What is a gas?
Diamond and graphite (pencil lead) look completely different, but they are both made entirely of this single chemical element.
What is carbon?
An equation is balanced when the total number of each type of atom on the reactant side is this to the product side.
What is equal or the same?
In a double-replacement reaction (AB + CD --> AD + CB), the positive ions (cations) do this with each other
What is swap places (or trade partners/switch places)?
This special substance speeds up a chemical reaction without getting used up, and its formula is often written directly on top of the reaction arrow.
What is a catalyst?
The state symbol (aq) stands for aqueous, which means the reactant or product is dissolved in this specific liquid.
What is water?
This zero-charge subatomic particle, located in the nucleus alongside protons, adds mass to an atom without altering its chemical identity.
What is a neutron?