Question

Which of the following is NOT a true statement concerning what happens in all chemicalreactions?A). New atoms are formed as products.B). The ways in which atoms are joined together are changed C).In a word equation representing a chemical reaction, the reactants are written on the left andthe products on the right.D).The starting materials are named reactants.E). The bonds of the reactants are broken and new bonds of the products are formed.

Answer 1

Step 1 - Understanding what happens during a chemical reaction

During a chemical reaction, substances are transformed. The susbtances already present before the reaction are called reactants, whereas the susbtances formed by the reaction are called products:

`\text{reactants }\to\text{ products}`

A chemical reaction is a little bit like Lego playing: no new atom is created nor destroyed, they are just rearranged. This rearrangement is possible because the reactants' chemical bonds are broken, and new bonds are formed.

Step 2 - Finding the correct alternative

As we have seen in step 1, no new atoms are formed. The atoms are the same, they are just joined together in a different way.

Therefore, item a) is not correct.