Balancing and Types of Chemical Reactions

Front

What is a chemical reaction?

Back

A process in which substances (reactants) are transformed into different substances (products) through the breaking and forming of chemical bonds.

Front

What is a reactant?

Back

The starting material(s) in a chemical reaction.

Front

What is a product?

Back

The elements or compounds produced by a chemical reaction.

Front

What does a subscript in a chemical formula indicate?

Back

The small lower number in a chemical formula that tells the number of atoms of an element in a compound.

Front

What is the general form of a synthesis reaction?

Back

A + B → AB, where two or more reactants combine to form a single product.

Front

What is a decomposition reaction?

Back

A type of chemical reaction where a single compound breaks down into two or more simpler substances.

Front

What is a double replacement reaction?

Back

A reaction where two compounds exchange ions or bonds to form two new compounds.

Front

What is a single replacement reaction?

Back

A reaction where one element replaces another element in a compound.

Front

What is the law of conservation of mass?

Back

In a chemical reaction, mass is neither created nor destroyed; the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

Front

What is the difference between a balanced and unbalanced chemical equation?

Back

A balanced equation has equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides, while an unbalanced equation does not.