NCERT Class 10 Science Chemical Reactions and Equations

Chemical Reactions and Equations

In all the above situations, the nature and the identity of the initial substance have somewhat changed. We have already learnt about physical and chemical changes of matter in our previous classes. Whenever a chemical change occurs, we can say that a chemical reaction has taken place. You may perhaps be wondering as to what is actually meant by a chemical reaction. How do we come to know that a chemical reaction has taken place? Let us perform some activities to find the answer to these questions. You must have observed that magnesium ribbon burns with a dazzling white flame and changes into a white powder. This powder is magnesium oxide. It is formed due to the reaction between magnesium and oxygen present in the air.

CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

Activity 1.1 can be described as – when a magnesium ribbon is burnt in oxygen, it gets converted to magnesium oxide. This description of a chemical reaction in a sentence form is quite long. It can be written in a shorter form. The simplest way to do this is to write it in the form of a word-equation. The word-equation for the above reaction would be –

Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium oxide (1.1)

(Reactants) (Product)

The substances that undergo chemical change in the reaction (1.1), magnesium and oxygen, are the reactants. The new substance, magnesium oxide, formed during the reaction, is the product. A word-equation shows change of reactants to products through an arrow placed between them. The reactants are written on the left-hand side (LHS) with a plus sign (+) between them. Similarly, products are written on the right-hand side (RHS) with a plus sign (+) between them. The arrowhead points towards the products, and shows the direction of the reaction.

1.1.1 Writing a Chemical Equation 

Is there any other shorter way for representing chemical equations? Chemical equations can be made more concise and useful if we use chemical formulae instead of words. A chemical equation represents a chemical reaction. If you recall formulae of magnesium, oxygen and magnesium oxide, the above word-equation can be written as.

QUESTION

1. A solution of a substance ‘X’ is used for white washing.

(i) Name the substance ‘X’ and write its formula.

(ii) Write the reaction of the substance ‘X’ named in (i) above with water.

2. Why is the amount of gas collected in one of the test tubes in Activity 1.7 double of the amount collected in the other? Name this gas.

E X E R C I S E S

1. Which of the statements about the reaction below are incorrect?

2PbO(s) + C(s) → 2Pb(s) + CO2(g)

(a) Lead is getting reduced.

(b) Carbon dioxide is getting oxidised.

(c) Carbon is getting oxidised.

(d) Lead oxide is getting reduced.

(i) (a) and (b)

(ii) (a) and (c)

(iii) (a), (b) and (c)

(iv) all

2. Fe2O3 + 2Al → Al2O3 + 2Fe

The above reaction is an example of a

(a) combination reaction.

(b) double displacement reaction.

(c) decomposition reaction.

(d) displacement reaction.

3. What happens when dilute hydrochloric acid is added to iron fillings? Tick the correct answer.

(a) Hydrogen gas and iron chloride are produced.

(b) Chlorine gas and iron hydroxide are produced.

(c) No reaction takes place.

(d) Iron salt and water are produced.

4. What is a balanced chemical equation? Why should chemical equations be balanced?

5. Translate the following statements into chemical equations and then balance them.

(a) Hydrogen gas combines with nitrogen to form ammonia.

(b) Hydrogen sulphide gas burns in air to give water and sulpur dioxide.

(c) Barium chloride reacts with aluminium sulphate to give aluminium chloride and a precipitate of barium sulphate.

(d) Potassium metal reacts with water to give potassium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.

6. What does one mean by exothermic and endothermic reactions? Give examples.

7. Why is respiration considered an exothermic reaction? Explain.

8. Why are decomposition reactions called the opposite of combination reactions? Write equations for these reactions.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 10 Science Chemical Reactions and Equations