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Year 8

A particle model of chemical reactions

I can draw particles diagrams of reactants and products to show how they are rearranged by a chemical reaction.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 8

A particle model of chemical reactions

I can draw particles diagrams of reactants and products to show how they are rearranged by a chemical reaction.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Reactants are the chemicals that react in a chemical reaction.
  2. Products are the chemicals that are formed in a chemical reaction.
  3. The products and reactants in a chemical reaction contain exactly the same atoms.
  4. The atoms in the products of a chemical reaction are bonded differently to the same atoms in the reactants.

Common misconception

The idea that atoms can be created or destroyed when new products are formed.

Matter cannot be created or destroyed, only arranged differently to be formed into new products.

Keywords

  • Reactants - Reactants are the elements or compounds before a reaction takes place. Reactants are found on the left-hand side of a chemical equation.

  • Products - Products are the elements or compounds that are formed after a reaction has taken place. Products are found on the right-hand side of a chemical equation.

Use many examples of different particle diagrams to demonstrate how the number and type of atoms in the reactants are the same as in the products.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of these is true about elements?
They can have variable boiling points
Correct answer: They are organised in the Periodic Table
They are always compounds
They don't react with other elements
Q2.
A metal sulfate contains the group of elements -SO₄, nitrates have the group -NO₃ and have the group -CO₃.
Correct Answer: carbonates, carbonate
Q3.
What elements are present in the calcium chloride?
Correct Answer: calcium and chlorine, calcium chlorine, Ca Cl2
Q4.
What of the following is an example of a molecular element?
Si
Correct answer: O₂
Na
Q5.
Match the reacting elements with the compound formed.
Correct Answer:copper + oxygen,copper oxide

copper oxide

Correct Answer:copper + sulfur + oxygen,copper sulfate

copper sulfate

Correct Answer:potassium + bromine,potassium bromide

potassium bromide

Correct Answer:potassium + bromine + oxygen,potassium bromate

potassium bromate

Correct Answer:zinc + carbon,zinc carbide

zinc carbide

Correct Answer:zinc + carbon + oxygen,zinc carbonate

zinc carbonate

Q6.
What indicates a compound in a chemical formula?
Presence of a single element
No subscripts (little numbers)
Correct answer: Multiple different elemental symbols
Only gases

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word with its definition.
Correct Answer:Reactants,substances present before a chemical reaction has taken place.

substances present before a chemical reaction has taken place.

Correct Answer:Products,substances formed after a chemical reaction has taken place.

substances formed after a chemical reaction has taken place.

Q2.
In a chemical reaction, what happens to the atoms?
New atoms are created.
Some atoms are destroyed.
Correct answer: They are rearranged.
Q3.
In the chemical equation 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, what are the reactants?
H₂O
Correct answer: H₂ and O₂
H₂ only
O₂ only
H₂O and O₂
Q4.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a chemical reaction?
Changes in state
Loss of atoms
Correct answer: formation of new substances
Gain of atoms
Q5.
After the reaction 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, what happens to the total number of atoms?
It increases.
It decreases.
Correct answer: It remains the same.
Not enough information is known, so it cannot be determined.
Different reaction conditions would lead to different answers.
Q6.
In the equation 2Na + Cl₂ → 2NaCl, what is the simplest ratio of sodium (Na) atoms to chlorine (Cl) atoms in the reactants?
Correct answer: 1:1
2:1
1:2
2:2
3:1