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  1. Science
  2. Year 8
  3. Atoms and Elements
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Reactions of Compounds

Chemical equations can be written to represent the chemical reactions of both elements and compounds. Equations can look complicated but this worksheet will help to explain them.

'Reactions of Compounds' worksheet

Key stage:  KS 3

Curriculum topic:  Chemistry: Atoms, Elements and Compounds

Curriculum subtopic:  Atoms, Elements and Compounds

Difficulty level:  

down

Worksheet Overview

QUESTION 1 of 10

Listed below are four reactions that involve compounds.

 

Reaction One:

Shown here is a test tube containing copper sulfate solution. Most compounds that contain copper are blue in colour.

 

Reaction Two:

Calcium carbonate - better known as chalk - reacts with hydrochloric acid, which is incredibly strong, to produce the salt calcium chloride along with water and carbon dioxide gas. 

 

Reaction Three:

Lead iodide is bright yellow in colour and can be used in yellow paints, often used to paint cars. It can be produced by a precipitation reaction between potassium iodide and lead nitrate.

 

Reaction Four:

Magnesium metal is a reactive metal. It can react with acids or other compounds which contain metals, such as zinc nitrate. When they react, the compound magnesium nitrate is formed along with zinc metal. 

 

 

These descriptions of reactions can seem complicated; to simplify them, scientists use chemical equations. Shown below are the chemical equations for each of the reactions described above.

Read the descriptions carefully and compare them to the equations shown below. Practice this a few times before you move onto the questions. 

 

Reaction One:

ammonium hydroxide + copper sulfate → copper hydroxide + ammonium sulfate

 

Reaction Two:

calcium carbonate + hydrochloric acid → calcium chloride + carbon dioxide + water

 

Reaction Three:

potassium iodide + lead nitrate → lead iodide + potassium nitrate

 

Reaction Four:

magnesium + zinc nitrate → zinc + magnesium nitrate.

Which of the following are compounds?

acid

chalk

sodium metal

salt

oxygen

Which of the following compounds are made of only two elements combined?

hydrogen oxide

carbon dioxide

sodium hydroxide

calcium chloride

potassium sulfate

What is calcium carbonate more commonly known as? Select the correct option from the list below.

chalk

salt

sugar

A student finds a test tube that contains a blue solution. Which of the following metals is most likely to be responsible for the blue colour?

potassium

copper

sodium

Read this description of a reaction carefully and use the information provided to list the reactants and products of the reaction:

 

The salt sodium chloride can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid. This reaction also produces water and can be classed as a neutralisation reaction. 

Column A

Column B

sodium chloride
reactant
hydrochloric acid
reactant
sodium hydroxide
product
water
product

Methane is a commonly used fuel in the home. It releases heat energy when it reacts with oxygen in a combustion reaction. This reaction produces the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide along with water. 

 

Using the table below, fill in the missing parts of the equation:

 

methane +  A → B + water

 A B
Missing Words

Magnesium metal reacts strongly with acids such as nitric acid. This reaction is highly exothermic, releasing lots of heat and hydrogen gas. When the reaction is complete the salt magnesium nitrate is produced.

 

Using the table below, fill in the missing parts of the equation:

nitric acid + A → magnesium nitrate + B

 A B
Missing Words

Silver can be produced by reacting silver nitrate with zinc metal.

 

Using the table below, fill in the missing parts of the equation:

Silver nitrate + A → B + silver

 A B
Missing Words
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 1

Which of the following are compounds?

CORRECT ANSWER
acid
chalk
salt
EDDIE SAYS
Compounds are not listed in the Periodic Table, it only lists elements. Sodium and oxygen are both elements as they are listed in the Periodic Table.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 2

Which of the following compounds are made of only two elements combined?

CORRECT ANSWER
hydrogen oxide
carbon dioxide
calcium chloride
EDDIE SAYS
Potassium sulfate and sodium hydroxide both contain three elements. If a compound name ends in -ate, then that compound also contains oxygen.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 3

What is calcium carbonate more commonly known as? Select the correct option from the list below.

CORRECT ANSWER
chalk
EDDIE SAYS
Calcium carbonate is known as chalk. The chemical name of salt is sodium chloride and sugar can be classed as a carbohydrate.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 4

A student finds a test tube that contains a blue solution. Which of the following metals is most likely to be responsible for the blue colour?

CORRECT ANSWER
copper
EDDIE SAYS
Solutions that contain the metal copper are usually blue in colour.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 5

Read this description of a reaction carefully and use the information provided to list the reactants and products of the reaction:

 

The salt sodium chloride can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid. This reaction also produces water and can be classed as a neutralisation reaction. 

CORRECT ANSWER

Column A

Column B

sodium chloride
product
hydrochloric acid
reactant
sodium hydroxide
reactant
water
product
EDDIE SAYS
Descriptions of reactions can be complicated and they must be read carefully to create the correct equation.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 6

Methane is a commonly used fuel in the home. It releases heat energy when it reacts with oxygen in a combustion reaction. This reaction produces the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide along with water. 

 

Using the table below, fill in the missing parts of the equation:

 

methane +  A → B + water

CORRECT ANSWER
 A B
Missing Words
EDDIE SAYS
All combustion reactions involve elements or compounds reacting with oxygen from the air to release heat energy.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 7

Magnesium metal reacts strongly with acids such as nitric acid. This reaction is highly exothermic, releasing lots of heat and hydrogen gas. When the reaction is complete the salt magnesium nitrate is produced.

 

Using the table below, fill in the missing parts of the equation:

nitric acid + A → magnesium nitrate + B

CORRECT ANSWER
 A B
Missing Words
EDDIE SAYS
Reactive metals such as magnesium react with acids to produce salts and the very explosive hydrogen gas.
  • ANSWERS
  • Question 8

Silver can be produced by reacting silver nitrate with zinc metal.

 

Using the table below, fill in the missing parts of the equation:

Silver nitrate + A → B + silver

CORRECT ANSWER
 A B
Missing Words
EDDIE SAYS
This one was more difficult because only three of the chemicals involved are mentioned in the text. Elements or compounds cannot disappear and all elements contained within the compounds at the start of a reaction must also be contained within the compounds at the end of a reaction.
---- OR ----

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