Synthesis Reactions Jean Brainard, Ph.D. Say Thanks to the Authors Click http://www.ck12.org/saythanks (No sign in required) To access a customizable version of this book, as well as other interactive content, visit www.ck12.org CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both in the U.S. and worldwide. Using an open-content, web-based collaborative model termed the FlexBook®, CK-12 intends to pioneer the generation and distribution of high-quality educational content that will serve both as core text as well as provide an adaptive environment for learning, powered through the FlexBook Platform®. Copyright © 2014 CK-12 Foundation, www.ck12.org The names “CK-12” and “CK12” and associated logos and the terms “FlexBook®” and “FlexBook Platform®” (collectively “CK-12 Marks”) are trademarks and service marks of CK-12 Foundation and are protected by federal, state, and international laws. Any form of reproduction of this book in any format or medium, in whole or in sections must include the referral attribution link http://www.ck12.org/saythanks (placed in a visible location) in addition to the following terms. Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12 Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/3.0/), as amended and updated by Creative Commons from time to time (the “CC License”), which is incorporated herein by this reference. Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/terms. Printed: January 4, 2014 AUTHOR Jean Brainard, Ph.D. www.ck12.org C ONCEPT Concept 1. Synthesis Reactions 1 Synthesis Reactions • Define synthesis reaction. • Describe an example of a synthesis reaction. In this photo of Los Angeles, California, the air over the city is brown with smog. A major component of smog is nitrogen dioxide, which is a toxic gas with a sharp odor. Nitrogen dioxide can irritate the eyes and throat and trigger asthma attacks. Where does this poisonous gas come from? It forms when nitric oxidesources such as car exhaustwith oxygen in the air. This reaction is a synthesis reaction. What Is a Synthesis Reaction? A synthesis reaction occurs when two or more reactants combine to form a single product. A synthesis reaction can be represented by the general equation: A+B→C In this equation, the letters A and B represent the reactants that begin the reaction, and the letter C represents the product that is synthesized in the reaction. The arrow shows the direction in which the reaction occurs. Q: What is the chemical equation for the synthesis of nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) from nitric oxide (NO) and oxygen (O2 )? A: The equation for this synthesis reaction is: 2NO + O2 → 2NO2 1 www.ck12.org Examples of Synthesis Reactions Another example of a synthesis reaction is the combination of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) to produce sodium chloride (NaCl). This reaction is represented by the chemical equation: 2Na + Cl2 → 2NaCl Sodium is a highly reactive metal, and chlorine is a poisonous gas. Both elements are pictured in the Figure 1.1. The compound they synthesize has very different properties. Sodium chloride is commonly called table salt, which is neither reactive nor poisonous. In fact, salt is a necessary component of the human diet. You can see more examples of synthesis reactions at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxlWtsFinTM. FIGURE 1.1 Summary • A synthesis reaction occurs when two or more reactants combine to form a single product. This type of reaction is represented by the general equation: A + B → AB. • An example of a synthesis reaction is the combination of sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) to produce sodium chloride (NaCl). This reaction is represented by the chemical equation: 2Na + Cl2 → 2NaCl. Vocabulary • synthesis reaction: Chemical reaction in which two or more reactants combine to form a single product. Practice Watch the two-video sequence on synthesis reactions at the following URLs, and then answer the questions below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIZoGe-CR5Q&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG121vFEle4&NR=1&feature=endscreen MEDIA Click image to the left for more content. 2 www.ck12.org Concept 1. Synthesis Reactions MEDIA Click image to the left for more content. 1. 2. 3. 4. Why is it easy to identify synthesis reactions? What is the product of the synthesis reaction in which sodium combines with oxygen? Write a balanced chemical equation for the synthesis reaction in which nitrogen reacts with hydrogen. Complete the following two synthesis reactions by filling in the missing products: a. 2Al + 3Br2 → ? b. 2K + S → ? Review 1. What is a synthesis reaction? 2. Describe the synthesis reaction that produces table salt. 3. Which of the following is a synthesis reaction? a. b. c. d. 2H2 O → 2H2 + O2 2NO + O2 → 2NO2 2K + 2H2 O → 2KOH + H2 CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2 O References 1. Sodium: User:Jurii/Wikimedia Commons; Chlorine: User:Greenhorn1/Wikimedia Commons; Salt: Dubravko Sori´c. . Sodium: CC BY 3.0; Chlorine: Public Domain; Salt: CC BY 2.0 3