Question

Describe how this general chemical equation would be expressed in words

Answer 1

To describe a general chemical equation in words, we can use the following format:

Reactant(s) + Reactant(s) → Product(s)

The reactants are the substances that undergo a chemical reaction, and the products are the substances that are formed as a result of the reaction.

For example, let's consider the general chemical equation:

2H2 + O2 → 2H2O

In words, this equation can be described as:

"Two molecules of hydrogen gas react with one molecule of oxygen gas to produce two molecules of water."

Answer 2

In general, word equations are written to describe chemical reactions by using words to represent the reactants, products, and the processes involved. A typical word equation includes the names of the substances involved in the reaction and uses descriptive terms to indicate the nature of the reaction.

Here is a general format for writing word equations:

`\[ \text{Reactant(s)} \rightarrow \text{Products(s)} \]`

For example, the word equation for the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to form water can be written as:

`\[ \text{Hydrogen} + \text{Oxygen} \rightarrow \text{Water} \]`

To make it more specific, you can also include the chemical formulas and states of matter:

`\[ \text{2H}_2(g) + \text{O}_2(g) \rightarrow \text{2H}_2\text{O}(l) \]`

In this example:

- "2H₂(g)" represents two moles of gaseous hydrogen molecules.

- "O₂(g)" represents gaseous oxygen molecules.

- "2H₂O(l)" represents two moles of liquid water.

Note: The coefficients in front of the chemical formulas represent the stoichiometry of the reaction, indicating the relative amounts of each substance involved. The states of matter (s, l, g, aq) are often included to specify the physical state of each substance.