Final answer:
A chemical equation is a symbolic representation of a chemical reaction, It shows the reactants (initial substances) showing the reactants and products involved. For the synthesis of water, the equation is 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O. For the decomposition of water, the equation is 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂.
Step-by-step explanation:
A chemical equation is a symbolic representation of a chemical reaction. It shows the reactants (initial substances) and products (final substances) involved in the reaction. For example, the synthesis of water can be represented by the equation: 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O. This equation indicates that 2 molecules of hydrogen gas (H₂) react with 1 molecule of oxygen gas (O₂) to produce 2 molecules of water (H₂O).
On the other hand, the decomposition of water can be represented by the equation: 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂. This equation shows that 2 molecules of water break down to form 2 molecules of hydrogen gas and 1 molecule of oxygen gas. To ensure understanding, I would ask the class: What are the reactants and products in the synthesis of water? What are the reactants and products in the decomposition of water? Can you write the balanced chemical equations for these reactions?