Investigating Chemical Reactions: What Are Chemical Reactions

Upon viewing the Investigating Chemical Reactions video series, students will be able to do the following:

Define a chemical reaction as a process in which substances undergo changes to produce new materials with different properties.
Provide an example of a chemical reaction, and describe the changes that occur.
List some of the indicators of chemical reactions including: a change in color, formation of gas, a change of temperature, creation of electrical energy, and the formation of light energy.
Identify one or more indicators when given a chemical reaction.
Explain that reactants are substances that enter a chemical reaction, and products are substances that are produced as the result of a chemical reaction.
Identify the reactants and products in a chemical reaction described by the instructor.
Understand that a chemical formula is a combination of symbols that represent the elements in a compound.
Use chemical formulas to represent a chemical reaction.
Identify the reactants and products in a chemical reaction symbolized by chemical formulas.
Understand that not all chemical reactions are the same, and that there are several major types of chemical reactions.
Differentiate between a synthesis reaction and a decomposition reaction.
Provide a specific example of a synthesis reaction and a decomposition reaction.
Explain that in chemical reactions, energy is either absorbed or released.
Understand that in an exothermic reaction, energy is released.
Describe an endothermic reaction as a type of chemical reaction in which energy is taken in.
Provide specific examples of both exothermic and endothermic reactions.