Plenty of the iron in this muffler combined with oxygen in the environment, creating rust and leaving holes in the muffler where the iron has been consumed. When the chemical bonds reassemble and these reactants combine, the result is 2 molecules of a specific iron oxide that contains 2 iron atoms and 3 oxygen atoms-a.k.a rust. Each of these oxygen molecules contains 2 oxygen atoms. In other words, 4 iron atoms in the muffler reacted with 3 oxygen molecules in the air. The numbers in subscript refer specifically to the element that’s in front of them.
The large number in front of an atom or molecule, which we call the coefficient, tells us the relative amounts of each substance involved in or produced by the reaction. The shorthand that explains our rusty car part is this: If the supply of one reactant runs out, the excess of the other will remain unreacted. Reactants will always react in proportions given in the equation. In the most basic sense, a chemical equation describes the type and amount of each substance that reacts (the reactants) to form a given amount of specific substances produced (the products). That’s what chemical equations are for: they’re a type of shorthand used to precisely communicate exactly what’s happening in the reaction. So we need a very specific way to express the chemical reaction that to led to our muffler’s demise. What, exactly, is rust? Chemically, it’s iron oxide, but iron forms many types of oxides. You could say iron reacted with oxygen to produce rust. Simply saying it rusted isn’t much of an explanation. You probably remember that In a chemical reaction, bonds between atoms in a compound are broken, and the atoms rearrange to form new compounds, either releasing or consuming energy in the process (see our Chemical Reactions module).Īs an example, let’s consider what happened to the muffler. But you and your 21st-century viewer can translate your sketch because of shared knowledge you have about cars.Ĭhemical equations play a similar role for people conveying messages about what happens during a chemical reaction. If you showed the same picture to someone 500 years ago, they’d have no idea what a car is, let alone what a muffler does or that there are people who specialize in installing them. Then look at your picture: think about what kind of understanding you and the viewer need to share in order for you to convey your message. Maybe you include a car, a muffler, a storefront, and a person holding a screwdriver or other tool. Take a moment now to draw a sketch that conveys that you’re searching for a shop where you can get a new part installed. You need to find a place where you can buy a replacement, and you don’t speak the local language.
Imagine that you’re traveling in an exotic place and your rusty car muffler falls off. Understanding Scientific Journals and Articles.Using Graphs and Visual Data in Science.Scientists and the Scientific Community.
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