Ca(s)+Br_(2)(1)->CaBr_(2)(s)
The reaction you provided is a chemical equation that represents a reaction between solid calcium (Ca) and gaseous bromine (Br₂) to form solid calcium bromide (CaBr₂).
To understand this equation, it helps to know the symbols used for each element:
- "Ca" represents calcium, which is a metallic element.
- "Br₂" represents bromine, which is a diatomic molecule consisting of two bromine atoms bonded together.
- "CaBr₂" represents calcium bromide, which is a compound formed by the combination of calcium and bromine.
Now, let's break down the reaction:
1. Calcium (Ca) is in its elemental form, which means it consists of individual calcium atoms.
2. Bromine (Br₂) is a diatomic molecule, meaning it exists as two bromine atoms bonded together.
3. When the reaction occurs, the calcium atoms react with the bromine molecules to form calcium bromide.
4. The result is solid calcium bromide (CaBr₂), where one calcium atom combines with two bromine atoms to form a compound.
To balance this chemical equation, you need to ensure that the number of atoms on both sides of the equation is equal. Here's the balanced equation:
2Ca(s) + Br₂(g) → 2CaBr₂(s)
In this balanced equation, two calcium atoms react with one molecule of bromine gas to produce two molecules of calcium bromide. The (s) and (g) notations represent the states of matter: (s) for solid and (g) for gas.
Remember that when balancing equations, you need to manipulate the coefficients (the numbers in front of the chemical formulas) rather than the subscripts (the numbers within the formulas).