Class VIII Science

Topic Chemical changes

Attainment targets
1. Recognise that acids react with some metals to produce new substances.
2. Recognise that acids react with carbonates to produce new substances.
3. Recognise that usually oxides are formed when materials burn.
4. Recognise that burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide.

Target # 1
1. Recognise that acids react with some metals to produce new substances.

Acids react with most metals to form a salt and hydrogen gas. As discussed previously, metals
that are more active than acids can undergo a single displacement reaction. For example, zinc
metal reacts with hydrochloric acid producing zinc chloride and hydrogen gas.

What forms when metals react with other substances?

When metals react with other substances, the metal atoms always form positive
ions. The easier it is for a metal to form its positive ion, the more reactive
the metal is. Metals can be arranged in order of their reactivity.

What happens when acid reacts with metal?

When acids react with metals, they produce a salt and hydrogen gas. Most metals
react with acids, but not all. The general equation that describes the chemical reaction
between an acid and metal is metal + acid = salt + hydrogen gas.

Which substances produce hydrogen on reacting with metals?

Metals react with acids, water and alcohols to produce hydrogen gas. But this is not
for all metals. Only those metals which are more reactive than hydrogen give these
reactions.

What happens when you react magnesium with hydrochloric acid?

When magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas and
soluble magnesium chloride are produced according to the following equation: The H2
bubbles can be seen forming but the magnesium chloride that forms remains in
solution and isn't visible. You will observe the magnesium metal being consumed.

When zinc, a metal and dilute sulphuric acid are mixed, they react to form the salt
zinc sulphate and hydrogen gas. The colorless and odourless hydrogen gas can be
identified with alighted splint as it extinguishes the lighted splint with a pop
sound. The zinc gradually disappears in this reaction as it forms zinc sulphate.
This is how a metal is corroded by an acid.
The word equation for the chemical reaction between zinc and dilute sulphuric
acid is as,
Zinc + dilute sulphuric acid -------------------- zinc sulphate + hydrogen
Target # 2
2. Recognise that acids react with carbonates to produce new substances.

Acids react with bicarbonates. When you are going to mix some baking soda or
effervescent fruit salt ( sodium bicarbonate) with vinegar (acetic / ethanoic acid),
what will you observe?

Bubbles of carbon dioxide gas will be produced. This shows that a chemical
reaction taken place when the baking soda or fruit salt is mixed with vinegar.How
can you identify carbon dioxide?

Acids react with carbonates and bicarbonates to produce carbon dioxide gas.
Calcium carbonate, for example, reacts with dilute sulphuric acid to produce the
salt calcium sulphate and carbon dioxide gas and water.
 Calcium carbonate + dilute sulphuric acid -------------- calcium sulphate + carbon

Dioxide + water

Carbon dioxide produced can be identified by passing it through a small amount of

limewater, which is calcium hydro oxide solution. Carbon dioxide reacts with
calcium hydroxide solution to form calcium carbonate and water. Carbon dioxide
turns the lime water milky because the calcium carbonate formed is insoluble in
water.

What is produced when acids react with carbonates?

When acids react with carbonates, such as calcium carbonate (found in chalk,
limestone and marble), a salt, water and carbon dioxide are made. The carbon dioxide
causes bubbling during the reaction, which is observed as fizzing. ... This type
of reaction can be used to test unknown solutions to see if they are acidic.

Do acids react with carbonates?

Acids react with carbonates to form carbon dioxide gas. Carbonates such as
calcium carbonate, CaCO₃, are ionic compounds. ... The carbonate ions are basic.
They react with the H⁺ ions from an acid such as HCl to form carbonic acid

What type of reaction is HCl and caco3?

Hydrochloric acid reacts with calcium carbonate to form calcium chloride, carbon
dioxide and water.

What does HCl and CaCO3 produce?

Hydrochloric acid reacts with calcium carbonate to form calcium chloride, carbon
dioxide and water.

What happens when you mix HCl and NaOH?

Hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide to form sodium chloride (the salt)
and water. Sodium chloride is made up of Na+ cations from the base (NaOH) and Cl-
anions from the acid (HCl). HCl+NaOH→H2O+NaCl. Hydrogen bromide reacts with
potassium hydroxide to form potassium bromide (the salt) and water.
 Target # 3

oxides are formed when materials burn.

Introduction: When elements are burned in oxygen, they form compounds called oxides. ...

The oxides of a number of elements dissolve in water to form acidic or basic solutions. You
can determine if a particular solution is acidic or basic by testing with an acid-base indicator.

What do metal oxides produce?

Metal oxides are bases they react with acids and neutralise them. Some metal
oxides dissolve in water to produce alkaline solutions.
 What is produced by metal as it burns?
Metals do burn. In fact, most metals release a lot of heat when they burn and are hard
to put out. ... The fuel in thermite is the metal aluminum. When thermite burns, the
aluminum atoms bond with oxygen atoms to form aluminum oxide, releasing a lot of
heat and light in the process.

Preparation of Oxides
1. By direct heating of an element with oxygen: Many metals and non-metals burn
rapidly when heated in oxygen or air, producing their oxides, e.g.,
2. By reaction of oxygen with compounds at higher temperatures: At higher
temperatures, oxygen also reacts with many compounds forming oxides, e.g.,

What are oxides of metals?

Metal oxides are crystalline solids that contain a metal cation and an oxide anion.
They typically react with water to form bases or with acids to form salts.

Is rust an oxidizer?
In this case, Iron is the reducing agent, because it loses electrons. Chlorine is
the oxidizing agent, because it gains electrons. We know the byproduct of this reaction
as rust. Rust is iron oxide—Fe(OH)2—and depending on factors like pH and salts, it
comes in many forms.
Compound magnesium oxide is formed when magnesium ribbon burns in
oxygen with a bright light to produce magnesium oxide, a white solid.

Magnesium + oxygen --------------- magnesium oxide

When methane burns in oxygen, a lot of energy is produced, together with
carbon dioxide and water.
Methane + oxygen ------------------- Carbon dioxide + water

Summing up the whole unit

Chemical changes
 A chemical change is one in which new products are formed.
 Examples of chemical changes are the explosion of fireworks, charging of
battery, mixing of vinegar and egg shells
 Some signs of a chemical change include
--gain or release of energy
--irreversibility of the change
--formation of a gas or solid
--change in color or odour
 Chemical changes can be brought about by
--the interaction between matter by mixing
 --the interaction between matter and energy by heating, exposure to light
or passing an electric current

What are chemical reactions?

 Chemical reactions are processes in which substances, known as
reactants, go through chemical changes to form new substances known
as products.
 Chemical reactions can be represented by word equations to show the
reactants and products involved in the reactions.
Example, iron + sulphur ------------- iron sulphide
 The total mass of the reactants before a chemical reaction is equal to the
total mass of products formed after the reaction. This is known as
conservation of mass
 Electrolysis is a chemical reaction brought about by passing an electric
current through an electrolyte

Different types of chemical reactions

Types of chemical Definitions Example
reactions
Combination A chemical reaction in Combination of
which two or more hydrogen and oxygen to
substances react to form form water
a single product
Combustion A chemical reaction in Burning of magnesium
which a substance in oxygen
combine with oxygen
when heated
Oxidation A chemical reaction in Carbon is oxidized when
which substance it burns in oxygen to
combine with oxygen form carbon dioxide
Thermal decomposition A chemical reaction in Copper carbonate
substances are broken decomposes into carbon
down into simpler dioxide and copper oxide
substances by heat when heated
 Chemical reactions can be brought Examples
about by ……
Mixing Sodium chloride and water are
formed when hydrochloric acid is
mixed with sodium hydroxide
Heating Iron sulphide is formed when a
mixture of iron and sulphur is heated

Exposure to light Glucose and oxygen are formed

during photosynthesis from carbon
dioxide and water when plants are
exposed to light
Passing an electric current through Water is broken down into hydrogen
matter and oxygen during electrolysis of
water

Target # 4

burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide.

The combustion of fuels is an important chemical reaction as the burning of fuels

provide us with energy to light up our homes, schools and offices. It is also used to
power machines in factories and vehicles for transport.

Fuels are substances which release energy when they are burnt. Wood, charcoal, wax,
alcohol and fossil fuels are some examples.

Fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal and natural gas come from fossils, which are the
remains of organisms which lived millions of years ago. Fossil fuels are rich in
compounds containing carbon and thus burning fossil fuels results in the production of
carbon dioxide gas.

Natural gas, a, fossil fuel, is made up mostly of the compound methane and is widely
used in homes and in industry. The word equation shows the burning of mrthane in
oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

Methane + oxygen ----------- carbon dioxide + water

Class VIII Science

Reinforcement Questions

Topic Chemical Changes

 Distinguish between a physical change and a chemical change.

 Give an example each of a useful physical change and a chemical change.
Explain how they are useful.
 What brought about the following changes?
--condensation of water vapours
--decomposition of sugar
--rusting of iron
 What kind of chemical reactions –combination, combustion or decomposition
is the burning of magnesium in air?
 When sodium, a metal, is added to water, it reacts vigorously to form two new
substances –sodium hydro oxide and a colorless gas which extinguishes a
lighted splint with a pop sound.
a. What brought about these chemical reactions
b. Identify the gas produced
c. Write a word equation for this chemical reaction.
 What is the gas given off in each of the following chemical reactions? Briefly
describe how the gas can be identified,
a. Methane burning in oxygen
b. Dilute hydrochloric acid reacting with sodium carbonate
c. Dilute nitric acid reacting with magnesium
 Heat can bring about chemical reactions and chemical reactions can produce
heat. Is this also true for light and electricity? Give an example to illustrate
each case.
 Chemical reactions can occur very quickly as in an explosion or slowly as in
the rusting of iron. Many factors affect the speed of reaction. From the
information given below, deduce some of these factors
a. Food is kept in cold places such as refrigerators to preserve it.
b. Thin slices of carrot cook faster than big chunks of carrot.
c. A glowing splint flares up in a gas jar of oxygen but not in air
 The combustion of fuels is very useful. However, the products of combustion
can affect our environment. Take for example, the combustion of petrol and
diesel in vehicles. What are the products formed? How do they affect us and
the environment?
 Explain why the marble structure of Taj Mahal is affected by acid rain?
 Explain the process of electrolysis.
 Combustion takes place in the internal combustion engine of a car. What is
burnt in the engine to release energy for the car to move? Can it burn without
air or oxygen?
 Changes like burning of fuels and decay is useful or desirable?
 What is a chemical change? State four causes of chemical changes.
 Give three examples of chemical changes around you.
 Explain why a chemical change is said to have taken place when sugar is
heated but not when water is heated?
 What causes chemical changes to take place in each of the following case.
a. Barbecuing a chicken wing
b. Getting a suntan
c. Charging a car battery
d. Rusting of iron
 Write word equations for the following chemical reactions
a. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen to form water
b. Water breaks down to form hydrogen and oxygen
c. Magnesium burns in oxygen to form magnesium oxide
d. Carbon dioxide reacts with calcium hydro oxide to form calcium carbonate
and water
e. Calcium carbonate decomposes to form calcium oxide and carbon dioxide
f. Hydro chloric acid reacts with sodium hydro oxide to form sodium chloride
and water.
g. Zinc reacts with dilute sulphuric acid to form zinc sulphate and hydrogen
gas
 Sodium combines with chlorine to form sodium chloride.
a. Write a word equation of this chemical reaction
b. What kind of chemical reaction is this,-- combination, combustion or
decomposition.
 Define the following types of chemical reactions and give an example of each,
a. Combination
b. Combustion
c. Oxidation
d. Thermal decomposition
 Give an example each of a chemical reaction brought about by mixing, heat,
exposure to light and passing an electric current through matter.
 What is electrolysis? How it is used in everyday life.
 How can water be broken down into its constituent elements? Write a word
equation for the decomposition of water.
 A lot of chemical reactions take place in kitchen Baking, for example involves,
many chemical reactions. Find out how to bake a cake and the chemical
reactions involved.
 In 1997,policy makers from over 160 countries met in Kyoto, Japan and
produced an agreement, known as the Kyoto Protocol which requires
indurstrialised countries to reduce green house gas emissions. The treaty came
into effect in February 2005. Find out more about the Kyoto Protocol. In
particular, find out which countries are the greatest contributors of green house
gases, and which countries have not signed the agreement as well as their
reason for not doing so.