Question

Use the formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen to explain the following terms: chemical reaction, reactant, and product.

Short answer

A chemical reaction involves reactants, like hydrogen and oxygen, forming a product, water.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction to Chemical Reaction

A chemical reaction is a process where substances, called reactants, combine or break apart to form new substances, called products. For example, when hydrogen gas and oxygen gas react, they form water.

Identifying Reactants

In the formation of water, the reactants are the substances that begin the reaction. Here, the reactants are hydrogen ( H_2 ) and oxygen ( O_2 ). These are the starting materials that will chemically react.

Formulation of Products

The products in a chemical reaction are the new substances formed as a result of the reaction. In this example, the product is water ( H_2O ), formed from the combination of hydrogen and oxygen.

Balanced Chemical Equation

When writing the chemical equation for the reaction, it should be balanced. For the formation of water, the balanced equation is 2H_2 + O_2 ightarrow 2H_2O , which shows two molecules of hydrogen reacting with one molecule of oxygen to produce two molecules of water.

Key concepts

Reactant

In a chemical reaction, the term "reactant" refers to the starting materials or substances that undergo a transformation. They are the ingredients that, when combined or interact with each other, lead to the formation of new substances.

For instance, in the chemical reaction that leads to the formation of water, the reactants are hydrogen gas (\(H_2\)) and oxygen gas (\(O_2\)). These gases are the initial substances present before the chemical reaction occurs.

• Reactants are crucial because they determine what kind of chemical reaction will take place.
• The properties and quantities of reactants influence how the reaction proceeds and what products will be formed.

Understanding reactants helps in predicting the possible outcomes of chemical interactions. Pay attention to the states of reactants, often indicated in chemical equations, such as gases, liquids, or solids, since these can affect the reaction's behavior and rate.

Product

The term "product" in the context of a chemical reaction refers to the new substances that are formed as a result of the reaction. Once reactants undergo a chemical change, the result is the production of new molecules or compounds known as the products.

In the creation of water, the product formed is water itself (\(H_2O\)). This occurs when hydrogen molecules combine with oxygen molecules.

• Products are the endpoint of a chemical reaction.
• They have different chemical properties compared to the reactants.

By analyzing products, scientists can better understand the effectiveness and completeness of a reaction. It's important to note that in many chemical reactions, several products can be formed depending on the conditions under which the reaction takes place. Tracking all possible products is key in complex chemical processes.

Balanced Chemical Equation

A balanced chemical equation represents a chemical reaction accurately with equal numbers of atoms for each element in the reactants and the products. This balance is crucial because it reflects the law of conservation of mass: matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

For water formation, the balanced chemical equation is \(2H_2 + O_2 \rightarrow 2H_2O\). This indicates that two molecules of hydrogen gas react with one molecule of oxygen gas to form two molecules of water.

• Balancing equations ensures that the same amount of matter is present before and after the reaction.
• It helps in calculating the precise amounts of reactants needed and the expected quantities of products generated.

Learning to balance chemical equations is a fundamental skill in chemistry as it aids in the practical application of chemical reactions in fields such as industrial production and pharmacology.