synthesis+reactions.+(teaching+wiki..)


 * SYNTHESIS REACTIONS**

//what happens:// in a synthesis reaction, in simplest terms, two substances react. The reaction results in the production of a new, more complex compound where the two substance combine.

//generic form of a synthesis equation:// a synthesis equation can be represented in simple variable terms by the formula __A+B --> AB__.

EXAMPLE EQUATION //equation in sentence form:// __potassium reacts with iodine to form potassium iodide__.

//change into formula equation:// when a chemical eqation in sentence form is changed into a chemical formula, each word is represented by a symbol, or chemical formula. first, all the elements and/or compound need to be in chemical formula form. potassium has the element symbol K. iodine has the element symbol I. potassium iodide is given the chemical formula KI. now the equation reads; K reacts with I to form KI. the phrase "reacts with" is simply represented by an addition sign, + the phrase "to form" is also occasionally written as "yeilds", both are represented by the symbol --> the sentence equation is now an unbalanced chemical reaction; __K + I --> KI__.

//balancing the equation:// to balance the equation, the charges of the elements are needed. potassium, K, has a charge of +1 because it is in group one of the periodic table. iodine, I, has a charge of -1 because it is in group seventeen of the periodic table. but because iodine is a diotomic element, it is written as I2, I with a subscript of 2. the equation now reads K + I2 --> KI, this is not quite balanced yet. when a compound is written, the charges need to balance eachother out, since K is +1 and I is -1 the balancing is already done there. but both sides of the equation need to read equally. there is one mole of K on the reactant side and one on the product side, that is balanced. but there are two I's one the reactant side and only one on the product side. this is solved but putting a coefficient of 2 in front of the KI; K + I2 --> 2KI. but now there are two K's on the product side and one on the reactant side, this is solved by putting a coefficient of 2 in front of the K. now the equation reads __2K + I2 --> 2KI__. there are two K's on both sides, there are two I's on both sides. the equation is balanced.



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