What does subscript mean in a chemical reaction?

Subscripts are numbers that come after a symbol and below. Subscripts tell you the number of. atoms of that element. If an element does not have a subscript, then it is understood that the subscript is 1. Li2Cl3 has two lithium atoms and three chlorine atoms.

Why do subscripts change between reactants and products?

Subscripts are part of the chemical formula for reactants or products and cannot be changed to balance an equation. Changing a subscript changes the substance represented by the formula. For example, the equation for the combustion of methane can- not be balanced by changing the formula CO2 to CO.

Why is it important to specify the states of reactants and products?

Physical states indicate the exact state (or phase) the compounds are in before and after the reaction. Therefore, we must indicate the physical states of reactants and products when we write the equation for the reaction.

What can be said about the reactants and products in a chemical reaction?

The reactants and products in a chemical reaction contain the same atoms, but they are rearranged during the reaction. As a result, the atoms end up in different combinations in the products. This makes the products new substances that are chemically different from the reactants.

What do you know about subscript?

A subscript or superscript is a character (such as a number or letter) that is set slightly below or above the normal line of type, respectively. It is usually smaller than the rest of the text. Subscripts appear at or below the baseline, while superscripts are above.

What’s the difference between a subscript and a coefficient in a chemical equation why we may need both?

Explanation: The coefficient tells you how many molecules of that substance there is. The subscript tells you what the substance it. It tells you the the amount of each element there are in the molecule.

Why can we not change the subscript in the formulas of reactants and products when we want to balance an equation?

While balancing a chemical equation, we cannot change the subscript in a formula because changing subscripts means you are changing the basic composition of the substance. Subscripts change the substance represented by the formula.

Why do we change coefficients and not subscripts?

When you change the coefficients, you’re only changing the number of molecules of that particular substance. because changing subscripts would mean you are changing the basic composition of the substance.

Why is it necessary to mention the physical states of reactants and products in a thermochemical equation of a reaction?

It is important to include the physical states of the reactants and products in a thermochemical equation, because the value of ΔH depends on those states. Endothermic reactions absorb energy from the surroundings as the reaction occurs. When heat is absorbed during a reaction, it can be written as a reactant.

How do you know the states of reactants and products?

The substance(s) to the left of the arrow in a chemical equation are called reactants. A reactant is a substance that is present at the start of a chemical reaction. The substance(s) to the right of the arrow are called products .

Why should a chemical reaction be written in a chemical equation?

The purpose of writing a balanced chemical equation is to know: the reactants (starting material) and products (end results) that occur. the ratios in which they react so you can calculate how much reactants you need and how much products can be formed.

Why is chemical reaction important?

Chemical reactions help us understand the properties of matter. By studying the way a sample interacts with other matter, we can learn its chemical properties. These properties can be used to identify an unknown specimen or to predict how different types of matter might react with each other.