Activity series

a list of elements organized according to the ease with which they undergo certain chemical reactions.

2. Aqueous solution

a solution in which the solvent is water; compound is dissolved in water.

3. Chemical equation

a statement using chemical formulas to describe the identities and relative amounts of the reactants and products involved in a chemical reaction.

4. Coefficient

in a chemical equation, the number written in front of a reactant or a product; in a balanced equation describes the lowest whole-number ratio of the amounts of all reactants and products.

5. Combustion reaction

a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance reacts with oxygen, releasing energy in the form of heat and light.

6. Decomposition reaction

a chemical reaction that occurs when a single compound breaks down into two or more elements or new compounds.

7. Double-replacement reaction

a chemical reaction that involves the exchange of ions between two compounds and produces either a precipitate, a gas, or water.

8. Electrolysis

the process that uses electrical energy to bring about a chemical reaction.

9. Formula equation

an equation that uses chemical formulas and symbols to represent the reactants and products.

10. Net ionic equation

an ionic equation that includes only the particles that participate in the reaction.

11. Oxidation-Reduction reaction

any chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred from one substance to another; also called a redox reaction.

12. Precipitate

a solid that forms during a chemical reaction in a solution.

13. Reversible reaction

a reaction that can take place in both the forward and reverse reactions; leads to an equilibrium state where the forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates and the concentration of reactants and products remain constant.

14. Single-replacement reaction

a chemical reaction that occurs when the atoms of one element replace the atoms of another element in a compound.

15. Synthesis reaction

a chemical reaction in which two or more substances react to yield a single product.

16. Word equation

an equation in which the reactants and products are written down in words.