Predicting products of Chemical Reactions

Predicting Products

Now that you know the general types of chemical reactions, you can predict what the products of a reaction will be when you are

given the reactants. You will need to be able to write the correct formulas for the

reactants by using the oxidation numbers of elements and polyatomic ions

Example #1

Predict the products of this reaction.     H + O

1. What type of reaction is it? synthesis

2. Move the chemical symbols torepresent a synthesis reaction.

H + O HO

3. Add subscripts to make the oxidation numbers of the elements in the product equal to zero.

H2 + O2 H2O

Example #2:

Predict the products of this reaction.     BaCl2 + Al2(SO4)3

1. What type of reaction is it? double displacement

2. Move the chemical symbols to represent a double displacement reaction.

BaCl2 + Al2(SO4)3 AlCl + BaSO4

3. Add subscripts to make the oxidation numbers of the elements in the product equal to zero.

BaCl2 + Al2(SO4)3 AlCl3 + BaSO4

Example # 3:

Write the correct formulas for the products of

Al + CaO

1. What type of reaction is it? Single replacement

2. Move the chemical symbols to represent a double displacement reaction. Al + CaO AlO + Ca

3. Add subscripts to make the oxidation numbers of the elements in the product equal to zero.

Al + CaO Al2O3 + Ca