Question

Identify the reactants and products when a copper wire is heated in air in a Bunsen burner flame.

Short answer

Reactants: Cu and O₂. Product: CuO.

Step-by-step solution

Identify the Reactants

When a copper wire is heated in air, we need to identify the substances at the beginning of the reaction. The main substance is the copper wire which is made of elemental copper (Cu). The second substance is the oxygen (O₂) present in the air.

Describe the Reaction

When the copper wire is heated in the flame of a Bunsen burner, it reacts with the oxygen in the air. This is a combustion reaction involving copper and oxygen.

Identify the Products

The copper reacts with oxygen to form copper(II) oxide. The chemical equation for this reaction is: Cu + O₂ → CuO.This shows that copper (Cu) and oxygen (O₂) are the reactants, and copper(II) oxide (CuO) is the product.

Conclusion

The reactants in the combustion reaction are copper (Cu) and oxygen (O₂). The product formed is copper(II) oxide (CuO).

Key concepts

reactants and products

In any chemical reaction, it’s important to identify the starting substances, known as reactants, and the ending substances, known as products. Reactants are substances that undergo change during the reaction. Products are the new substances formed as a result of the reaction.
When a copper wire is heated in air, the reactants are copper (Cu) and oxygen (O₂). These elements react with each other in the presence of heat.
The product of this reaction between copper and oxygen is copper(II) oxide (CuO). This chemical transformation changes the elemental substances into a compound. Identifying reactants and products helps in understanding and balancing chemical equations.

chemical equations

Chemical equations represent the process of a chemical reaction using symbols and formulas. For the reaction between copper and oxygen, the chemical equation is:

Cu + O₂ → CuO

This symbolizes that one copper atom (Cu) and one diatomic oxygen molecule (O₂) react to form copper(II) oxide (CuO), which is a compound.
Balancing chemical equations is a crucial step. Each side of the equation must have the same number of atoms of each element. This conservation of mass ensures that no atoms are lost or gained during the reaction.

• The reactants are written on the left side of the equation
• The products are written on the right side
• The arrow (→) shows the direction of the reaction

copper oxidation

Copper oxidation is a specific type of chemical reaction where copper reacts with oxygen. This process involves copper losing electrons to oxygen, forming copper(II) oxide (CuO).
When copper wire is heated in a Bunsen burner flame, its atoms gain energy and start to react with oxygen in the air. This is an example of a combustion reaction in which copper oxidizes.

This reaction shows the importance of understanding how metals interact with oxygen. Copper, when exposed to oxygen and heat, transforms from its elemental form into a compound, demonstrating oxidation. This process is also a part of a broader category of chemical reactions where metals react with non-metals.
Identifying the signs of oxidation is essential in industries and everyday life as it affects the properties and utility of materials.