predicting products in a chemical reaction
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lovelle
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predicting products in a chemical reaction
Hi there! can anybody help me, how to predict products in a chemical reaction?
--georj--
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expert
- Distinguished Member
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This is a very-very good question. Many generations of chemists have been working to find the answer, and unfortunately they are finding solutions to only particular cases.
There is one important rule though. The matter can't disappear to nothing or appear from nothing, so in every chemical reaction there is a BALANCE between the number of atoms in the starting reagents and the number of the same atoms in the products. This is true for every true chemical reaction vs. nuclear reaction. In the nuclear reaction the matter also stays constant, but one atom can turn into another or simply into energy and seemingly disappear.
To become a good predictor of chemical reactions you should spend years learning chemistry. At the same time you may resort to becoming a modest predictor just by reading your chemistry books and studying elements as they were characters from a drama or your friends. A good map of their relationships called Periodic Table of Elements. Study it.
There is one important rule though. The matter can't disappear to nothing or appear from nothing, so in every chemical reaction there is a BALANCE between the number of atoms in the starting reagents and the number of the same atoms in the products. This is true for every true chemical reaction vs. nuclear reaction. In the nuclear reaction the matter also stays constant, but one atom can turn into another or simply into energy and seemingly disappear.
To become a good predictor of chemical reactions you should spend years learning chemistry. At the same time you may resort to becoming a modest predictor just by reading your chemistry books and studying elements as they were characters from a drama or your friends. A good map of their relationships called Periodic Table of Elements. Study it.
Remember safety first! Check MSDS and consult with professionals before performing risky experiments.