I need an example of an elementary reaction to go with the definition
An elementary reaction is a reaction in which reactants are converted to products in a single step.
2H2 + O2 = 2H2O
2Na + 2H2O = 2NaOH + H2
Thank you so much!!
Sure! An example of an elementary reaction is the reaction between hydrogen gas (H2) and chlorine gas (Cl2) to form hydrogen chloride gas (HCl). The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
H2 + Cl2 -> 2 HCl
In this reaction, the reactants (H2 and Cl2) are directly converted to the product (HCl) in a single step. No intermediate compounds are formed during the reaction. This makes it an elementary reaction.
If you want to find more examples of elementary reactions, one way is to look at basic chemical reactions that involve only simple molecules reacting directly with each other. Some common examples include:
- The reaction between sodium metal (Na) and chlorine gas (Cl2) to form sodium chloride (NaCl):
2 Na + Cl2 -> 2 NaCl
- The combustion of methane (CH4) in the presence of oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O):
CH4 + 2 O2 -> CO2 + 2 H2O
Remember, in order to determine if a reaction is elementary or not, you need to analyze whether it occurs in a single step without any intermediates involved.