Question

How does knowing the reactants and products help you classify a chemical reaction?

Answer 1

In chemical reactions, elements or compounds called reactants, are changed into other substances or compounds and elements called products. You cannot change one element into another in a chemical reaction. They are both important in order to classify the reaction.

Answer 2

Answer:

A chemical reaction is the process in which a chemical transformation takes place. By knowing the products and reactants you have an idea of the kind of changes that took place during the reaction and that way you are able to classify it.

Explanation:

A chemical reaction is the process in which a chemical transformation takes place.

In the same way that each substance can be represented by a chemical formula, each chemical reaction can be represented by a chemical equation. It indicates the reacting substances or reagents and the substances produced or products and the relative amounts for the reaction in question.

In general, chemical reactions can be classified into:

• Synthesis or combination reactionsÑ Two or more simple substances are combined to give a more complex product.

       2 Al + 3 S ==> Al2S3

• Decomposition reactions: A compound is transformed by the action of heat or electricity into two or more compounds.

      2 NaCl ==> 2 Na + Cl

• Displacement reactions: A more active element replaces a less active element in a compound.

     2 NaI + Br2 ==> 2 NaBr + I2

• Double displacement reactions: Particularly common for ionic reactions in solution; atoms or atomic groups are exchanged to give an insoluble salt.

      KBr (ac) + AgNO3 (ac) => AgBr (s) + KNO3 (ac)

• Oxidation and reduction reactions, or redox reaction: They occur when some atoms experience an increase in their oxidation state, a process called oxidation and others experience a decrease in their oxidation state, called reduction.

     Zn (s) + 2HCl (ac) ==> ZnCl2 (ac) + H2 (g)

• Neutralization or acid-base reactions: When an acid reacts with a base to form water plus an ionic compound called salt.

      HCl (ac) + NaOH (ac) ==> NaCl (ac) + H2O