Decomposition Reaction

Team Chemistry - Examples.com
Created by: Team Chemistry - Examples.com, Last Updated: August 8, 2024

Decomposition Reaction

Our world relies on cycles like the food web and food chain, to ensure a long and healthy life span, which involves the breaking down of various elements and chemicals. When your body chemically breaks down food to provide chemical energy to your body, it does this through a decomposition reaction. 

1. Decomposition Reactions Template

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2. Thermal Decomposition Reaction

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3. Fundamentals of Thermal Decomposition Engineering

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4. Unimolecular Decomposition Reactions of Picric

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5. Role of Decomposition Reactions

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6. Decomposition Reactions Worksheet

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7. Thermal Decomposition Reactions

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8. Initial Decomposition Reaction

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What Is Decomposition Reaction

A decomposition reaction is a reaction of a chemical substance or mixture breaking down into its multiple components. Not only does the decomposition reaction do that, but this reaction may also result in a new compound. If you want to learn more about the fundamentals of decomposition reaction or the role of the decomposition reaction, you may use any of the links above.

How to Write Down a Balanced Decomposition Reaction

Scientists and researchers can try to predict the outcome of a decomposition reaction by writing down the whole mixture and the resulting components. If you want to try and test yourself you may use the decomposition reaction worksheet on the links above.

1.) Write Down the Overall Reaction

Begin by writing down the given chemical mixture. This will make the illustration of the decomposition reaction easier to visualize. For example, if the given mixture is two atoms of table salt then it should be written as 2NaCl

2.) Break Apart the Reaction

After writing down the given mixture, you will now need to break the mixture into its components. Note that some components will not be created in isolation. Using the example used above we can break apart the mixture into Na + Cl2.

3.) Ensure the Atoms are Correctly Lined Up

Be sure that the atoms are correctly lined up based on their polarity. In the above example, the sodium atom is the cation (Positively-charged ion) while the chlorine atom is the anion (Negatively-charged ion).

4.) Balance the Solution

You must now balance the solution based on the amount of the original mixture. Using the same example, 2NaCl can be split into Na + Cl2 but the mixture will require two sodium (Na) ions to mix with a single dicholrine (Cl2) ion. The overall solution will then look like 2NaCl ? 2Na + Cl2.


FAQs

What are the three types of decomposition reactions?

The three types of decomposition reactions are electrolytic decomposition reaction, photodecomposition reaction, and thermal decomposition reaction; each type has its distinctive characteristic. An electrolytic decomposition reaction is a decomposition reaction that occurs when something introduces or produces an electric shock or a jolt to a specific substance. Electrolytic decomposition often manifests as a gadget creating an electric current to induce an electrolytic reaction in an aqueous solution or substance. A photodecomposition reaction is a type of decomposition reaction that uses the presence of light to induce a decomposition reaction in a substance or chemical mixture. In labs, scientists often induce this decomposition reaction by artificially introducing light via lightbulbs and other gadgets to the substance or mixture. The last type of decomposition reaction is thermal decomposition reaction, which is a decomposition reaction that occurs when something or someone introduces thermal energy or heat to the substance or chemical mixture. Scientists and researchers apply heat via the bunsen burner and store the substance or mixture in a protected flask or container.

Why are decomposition reactions important?

Decomposition reaction allows scientists, researchers, and manufacturers to create substances and mixtures that would otherwise be very difficult to obtain via the use of chemical reactions and chemical properties. There are chemicals and substances like quicklime that are harder to produce via mixtures instead, manufacturers use calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and conduct a decomposition reaction.

What are the applications of decomposition reactions?

Decomposition reactions have a wide variety and range of uses in the fields of metallurgy, cosmetics, chemistry, and even our digestive system. Hydrogen peroxide is a mixture that can be used as an antiseptic to treat small cuts and wounds, this mixture has a photodecomposition reaction that causes the mixture to decompose the moment light hits the mixture. This decomposition reaction is the reason why hydrogen peroxide often has a dark-covered bottle. Another is the decomposition reaction of carbonic acid in soft drinks, which decomposes carbonic acid (H2CO3) to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water or dihydrogen oxide (H2O). This decomposition reaction allows the soft drink to settle and the person to drink said soft drink.

The decomposition reaction is a type of reaction where the mixture or chemical substance decomposes into two or more proportional chemical substances. People can trigger these decomposition reactions via the application of heat, electricity or electrical current, or light photons.

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