CHAPTER 1

CHEMICAL REACTIONS AND EQUATIONS

1. Why does magnesium develop a white coating? OR Why

magnesium needs to be cleaned before use?
A. Magnesium develops a white coating because it is highly
reactive. It reacts with oxygen of air to form HgO. So it
needs to be cleaned before using.
2. What happens when magnesium burns in air?
A. Magnesium burns with a dazzling white light and a white
powder is obtained. The white powder is magnesium oxide
(MgO) which is formed due to the reaction between
magnesium and oxygen present in air.
3. Define precipitate.
A. When two clear solutions are mixed together, then the
insoluble substance formed is called a precipitate.
4. What happens when zinc granules are added into a test
tube containing sulphuric acid?
A. When zinc granules are added into a test tube containing
sulphuric acid, zinc sulphate is formed and effervescence
or bubbles are seen meaning a gas called hydrogen is
evolved.
Zn ( grey ) + H 2 SO4 (dil.) → ZnSO4 + H2 ( gas )
5. What happens when lead nitrate reacts with potassium
iodide solution?
A. When lead nitrate reacts with potassium iodide solution
yellow precipitates of lead iodide are formed and
potassium nitrate is left in solution.
Pb( NO3 )3 + KI → PbI2 ( yellow ppt.) + KNO3
6. What observations help us to determine whether a
chemical reaction has taken place?
A. The following observations help us to determine whether a
chemical reaction has taken place:
Change in colour
Change in state
Evolution of a gas
Change in temperature
7. Why do chemical reactions take place in solution state?
A. Chemical reactions take place in solution state because
when the salts are dissolved in water the ions get
separated and are free to react. In dry state, the ions of
compounds (certain not all) are attached by ionic bonds.
8. What is a chemical equation?
A. The short hand method of representing a chemical
reaction in terms of symbols and formulae of the different
reactants and products is called a chemical equation.
9. What is a balanced chemical equation?
A. An equation in which the numbers of atoms of each
element on the two sides of the equation are equal is
called a balanced chemical equation.
10. What is an unbalanced or skeletal equation?
A. An equation in which the number of atoms of different
elements (one or more) is not equal on the two sides of
the equation is called an unbalanced or skeletal equation.
11. What is the importance of a balanced chemical
equation?
A. The importance of a balanced chemical equation is that it
satisfies the law of conservation of mass i.e. in a chemical
reaction; total mass of all the products is equal to the total
mass of the reactants.
12. Fe3O4 is tri iron tetra oxide which is black in colour and also
called magnetic oxide. It is a mixture of FeO + Fe2O3. So in
both this compound both the valencies of Fe (II and III) are
seen. Hence we cannot say it is ferrous or ferric oxide.
13. What is the difference between slaked lime and lime
water?
A. Slaked lime is solid calcium hydroxide [Ca (OH)2] and lime
water is aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2].
14. What is combination reaction?
A. A reaction in which a single product is formed from two or
more reactants is known as a combination reaction.
15. What do you observe when water is added to quick
lime?
A. When water is added to calcium oxide (quick lime), it
reacts vigorously with water to produce slaked lime
(calcium hydroxide) releasing a large amount of heat.
Since a large amount of heat is released it is an
exothermic reaction.
CaO( s ) + H 2O(l ) → Ca (OH )2
quick Lime slaked Lime
CaO + H 2O → Ca (OH )2 ( aq )
(excess) ( Lime water )
16. When the walls are white washed, initially it is dull
but becomes white after 2-3 days. Why?
A. Calcium hydroxide reacts slowly with the carbon dioxide in
air to form a thin layer of calcium carbonate on the walls.
Calcium carbonate is formed after two to three days of
white washing and gives a shiny finish to the walls.
17. Name the various types of decomposition reactions.
A. The various types of decomposition reactions are:
• Thermal decomposition
• Electrolytic decomposition
• Photolytic decomposition
18. What do you observe when FeSO4 crystals are heated or
what happens when FeSO4 is heated?
A. When FeSO4 is heated
• Pale green colour changes to reddish brown.
• Smell of burning sulphur obtained
19. Fe2+ salts are pale green in colour where as Fe3+ salts are
reddish brown in colour.
20. What is a decomposition reaction?
A. A reaction in which a single reactant breaks down to give
simple products is called decomposition reaction.
21. Why dilute sulphuric acid is added to water in
electrolysis of water?
A. Water is a poor conductor of electricity, so dil. Sulphuric
acid is added to make it conducting.
22. How can we test hydrogen gas?
A. The test for hydrogen gas is:
• It burns with a pop sound.
• It does not burn itself but extinguishes a burning candle as
it is a non supporter of combustion.
23. What happens when silver chloride is exposed to
sunlight?
A. When silver chloride is exposed to sunlight
• White silver chloride turns grey in sunlight. This is due to
the decomposition of silver chloride into silver and
chlorine by light.
• Greenish yellow gas (Cl2) evolved is acidic in nature.
•
24. What is displacement reaction?
A. A reaction in which a highly reactive metal displaces a less
reactive metal from its salt solution.
25. What happens when iron is dipped in copper sulphate
solution?
26. Define double displacement reaction (or precipitation
reaction).
27. Give an example of a reaction which is a double
decomposition reaction but does not form a precipitate.
28. What happens when lead (II) nitrate solution and
potassium iodide solution react?
29. Define oxidation.
30. Define reduction.
31. Define oxidising agent.
32. Define reducing agent.
33. Define corrosion.
34. Why do copper vessels acquire a green coating after
sometime?
35. Why does silver acquire black coating after
sometime?
36. Copper on heating develops a black coating but
copper on exposure to air turns green. Why?
37. Why is nitrogen inert?
38. What is rancidity? How can it be prevented?
39. What is a redox reaction? When a magnesium ribbon
burns in air name the substance oxidised and why?
40. What do you observe when water is added to
quicklime? What type of reaction takes place?
41. What is the difference between slaked lime and lime
water?
42. A compound X which is green in colour on heating
gives a compound Y which is reddish brown in colour. Give
equations and name the products formed?
43. A substance X which is an oxide of a metal is present
in the bones. On treatment with water it forms another
compound Y which turns moist red litmus blue. Identify X
and Y and write the equation involved.
44. A metal nitrate A on heating gives a yellow
compound along with a brown gas B. Aqueous solution of
A on reacting with potassium iodide solution forms a
yellow precipitate of another compound D. identify A, B
and D. write the equations involved.
45. A compound X on exposure to sunlight forms a
compound Y along with a greenish yellow gas which is
acidic in nature. This reaction is used in photography.
Identify X and Y and write the reaction involved.
46. When the powder of a common metal is heated in an
open china dish its colour turns black, however when
hydrogen is passed over the hot black substance so
formed it regains its original colour. Answer the following:
• What type of chemical reaction takes place in each of the
two given steps?
• Name the powder taken initially and give the balanced
equations for both the reactions.
47. In the reaction given below name the substance that
is
• Oxidised
• Reduced
• Oxidising agent
• Reducing agent
• Balance the equation
MnO2 + HCl → MnCl2 + H2 O + Cl2
manganese
dioxide
48. Why is pure water not taken for electrolysis? What is
added to it and why?
49. Give two differences between displacement and
double displacement reactions.
50. Give a chemical test each of hydrogen and carbon
dioxide gas.
51. What is corrosion? What happens when
• Silver articles are exposed to air.
• Copper vessel is exposed to moist air.
• Iron is exposed to air.
52. What happens when copper strip is dipped in silver
nitrate solution? Write the equation involved.
53. Name the gases evolved at cathode and anode in the
electrolysis of water and state their ratio.
54. Why respiration is considered an exothermic
reaction?
55. Decomposition reactions are endothermic. Explain.
56.