Writing and
Balancing Chemical Reactions with Phase Symbols from Everyday Occurences
1. The first wordwide
radio broadcast from Lakehust, NJ on May 6, 1937 reported the explosion of the
Hindenburg, a German dirigible which killed 36 passengers. The explosion was
caused by hydrogen gas, carrying the airship, reacting with oxygen gas in the
air to produce water vapor.
2. Potassium metal is
stored in mineral oil or kerosene because it reacts vigorously with air and
water. When the metal is dropped into water, aqueous postassium hydroxide and
explosive hydrogen gas form.
3. In the Oklahoma City
federal building bombing, solid ammonium nitrate obtained from common
fertilizer was used as an explosive. At high temperatures, the solid produces
gaseous nitrogen and oxygen and water vapor.
4. Liquid butane (C4H10)
found in the "BIC" lighters is incompletely combusted in the presence
of a limited amount of oxygen gas to produce carbon monoxide gas and water
vapor.
5. Tums, an antacid, for
the "tummy" consists of solid calcium carbonate which reacts with
stomach acid (aqueous hydrochloric acid) to alleviate heartburn. It neutralizes
the acid producing aqueous calcium chloride, water vapor and carbon dioxide
gas.
6.In the wine making
industry, aqueous fructose (C6H12O6),
a simple sugar found in grapes, is converted by yeast (a catalyst) to liquid
ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) and carbon dioxide
gas, the "fizz" in wine.
7. An important advance in
car safety has been the installation of air bags. Upon a crash a detonator cap
causes solid sodium azide (NaN3) stored in the bag to
decompose explosively forming solid sodium and nitrogen gas which inflates the
bags within 40 milliseconds. (The bags then deflate immediately to allow vision
and movement after the crash.)
8. Liquid propane (C3H8)
is often used as a fuel in rural areas where there is no natural pipeline.
Propane reacts with excess oxygen gas in a furnace to produce gaseous carbon
dioxide and water vapor.
9. The reusable booster
rockets of the U.S. space shuttle employ a mixture of aluminum metal and solid
ammonium perchlorate for fuel. The two react to produce solid aluminum oxide
and aluminum chloride plus gaseous nitrogen monoxide and water vapor.
10. Acid rain is rain
which has a pH value below 5.6. One source of acid rain is the burning of
fossil fuels (coal) which contain sulfur. Solid sulfur burns in oxygen gas to
form gaseous sulfur dioxide.
Next gaseous sulfur
dioxide reacts with oxygen gas in the air to form gaseous sulfur trioxide.
Then gaseous sulfur
trioxide reacts with droplets of water in the air to form aqueous sulfuric
acid, H2SO4, acid rain.