Chemical equation

A chemical equation is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction wherein the reactant entities are given
on the left-hand side and the product entities on the right-hand side.The coefficients next to the symbols and
formulae of entities are the absolute values of the stoichiometric numbers. The first chemical equation was
diagrammed by Jean Beguin in 1615.
Common symbols
Symbols are used to differentiate between different types of reactions. To denote the type of reaction:
" " symbol is used to denote a stoichiometric relation.
" " symbol is used to denote a net forward reaction.
" " symbol is used to denote a reaction in both directions.
" " symbol is used to denote an equilibrium.
Physical state of chemicals is also very commonly stated in parentheses after the chemical symbol,
especially for ionic reactions. When stating physical state, (s) denotes a solid, (l) denotes a liquid, (g)
denotes a gas and (aq) denotes an aqueous solution.
If the reaction requires energy, it is indicated above the arrow. A capital Greek letter delta ( ) is put on
the reaction arrow to show that energy in the form of heat is added to the reaction. is used if the
energy is added in the form of light.
Chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical
substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the positions
of electrons in the forming and breaking of chemical bonds between atoms, with no change to the nuclei
(no change to the elements present), and can often be described by a chemical equation. Nuclear
chemistry is a sub-discipline of chemistry that involves the chemical reactions of unstable and radioactive
elements where both electronic and nuclear changes may occur.
The substance (or substances) initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants or
reagents. Chemical reactions are usually characterized by a chemical change, and they yield one or more
products, which usually have properties different from the reactants. Reactions often consist of a
sequence of individual sub-steps, the so-called elementary reactions, and the information on the precise
course of action is part of the reaction mechanism. Chemical reactions are described with chemical
equations, which graphically present the starting materials, end products, and sometimes intermediate
products and reaction conditions.
Chemical reactions happen at a characteristic reaction rate at a given temperature and chemical
concentration, and rapid reactions are often described as spontaneous, requiring no input of extra energy
other than thermal energy. Non-spontaneous reactions run so slowly that they are considered to require
the input of some type of additional energy (such as extra heat, light or electricity) in order to proceed to
completion (chemical equilibrium) at human time scales.
Different chemical reactions are used in combinations during chemical synthesis in order to
obtain a desired product. In biochemistry, a similar series of chemical reactions form metabolic
pathways. These reactions are often catalyzed by protein enzymes. These enzymes increase the rates of
biochemical reactions, so that metabolic syntheses and decompositions impossible under ordinary
conditions may be performed at the temperatures and concentrations present within a cell.
The general concept of a chemical reaction has been extended to non-chemical reactions between entities
smaller than atoms, including nuclear reactions, radioactive decays, and reactions between elementary
particles as described by quantum field theory.
Parts of chemical reactions
Reactant: a substance which is in a chemical reaction.
Product: substance which is produced by the chemical reaction.
A chemical change that you are familiar with is rust. In this chemical reaction, oxygen and iron,
which are the reactants, combine to form a product called iron oxide(rust). To see this reaction take
place, get a nail and leave it outside in the grass for a few days. What happens?
The reactants are the iron in the nail and oxygen in the air. The product is the rust on the nail. Rust is a
new and different substance. It is the result of a chemical reaction between iron and oxygen.
Reaction types
Four basic types

Synthesis
In a synthesis reaction, two or more simple substances combine to form a more complex substance. These
reactions are in the general form:

Two or more reactants yielding one product is another way to identify a synthesis reaction. One example of a
synthesis reaction is the combination of iron and sulfur to form iron(II) sulfide:

Another example is simple hydrogen gas combined with simple oxygen gas to produce a more complex
substance, such as water.
Decomposition
A decomposition reaction is the opposite of a synthesis reaction, where a more complex substance breaks down
into its more simple parts. These reactions are in the general form:

One example of a decomposition reaction is the electrolysis of water to make oxygen and hydrogen gas:

Single replacement
In a single replacement reaction, a single uncombined element replaces another in a compound; in order words,
one element trades places with another element in a compound. These reactions come in the general form of:

One example of a single displacement reaction is when magnesium replaces hydrogen in water to make
magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen gas:

Double replacement
In a double replacement reaction, the anions and cations of two compounds switch places and form two entirely
different compounds. These reactions are in the general form:

For example, when barium chloride (BaCl
2
) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO
4
) react, the SO
4
2-
anion switches
places with the 2Cl
-
anion, giving the compounds BaSO
4
and MgCl
2
.
Another example of a double displacement reaction is the reaction of lead(II) nitrate with potassium iodide to
form lead(II) iodide and potassium nitrate: