Chapter 1: The Language of Chemistry

Exercise 1(A)

Question 11

What is a symbol of an element ? What information does it convey ?

Answer

A symbol is a short form that stands for the atom of a specific element or the
abbreviation used for the name of an element.

A symbol conveys the following information:

1. It represents the name of the element.

2. It represents one atom of the element.

3. It represents a definite mass of the element (equal to atomic mass expressed in

grams).

Question 12

Why is the symbol S for sulphur, but Na for sodium and Si for silicon ?

Answer

When the first letter of more than one element is the same the elements are denoted by
two letters. Sulphur, Sodium and Silicon all have the first letter as S. Therefore, only
sulphur is denoted by S, Silicon is denoted by two letter Si, Sodium is denoted by two
letter Na taken from its latin name Natrium.

Question 13

Write the full form of IUPAC. Name the elements represented by the following symbols :

Au, Pb, Sn, Hg.

Answer

Full form of IUPAC is International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

The elements represented by the following symbols are:

Au → Gold

Pb → Lead

Sn → Tin
Hg → Mercury

Question 14

If the symbol for Cobalt, Co, were written as CO, what would be wrong with it ?

Answer

When writing symbols, we need to be careful about the case of the letters in the symbol.
CO means the compound Carbon Monoxide not Cobalt.

Question 15

What is meant by atomicity ? Name a diatomic element.

Answer

The number of atoms in a molecule of an element is called its atomicity. Hydrogen (H2)
is a diatomic element.

Question 16

(a) Explain the terms 'valency' and 'variable valency'.

(b) How are the elements with variable valency named ? Explain with an example.

Answer

(a) Valency is the combining capacity of an atom or of a radical. The valency of an

element or of a radical is the number of hydrogen atoms that will combine with or
displace one atom of that element or radical.
Variable valency is the ability of certain elements to have more than one valency or
different combining capacities. An atom of an element can sometimes lose more
electrons than are present in its valence shell, i.e., there is a loss of electrons from the
penultimate shell too. Such element is said to exhibit variable valency.

(b) If an element exhibits two different positive valencies, then the suffix "ous" is used
for the lower valency and the suffix "ic" is used for the higher valency. Modern chemists
use Roman numerals in place of these trivial names.
For example, Iron can exhibit a valency of +2 or +3. The ion with valency +2 is named as
Ferrous ion (Fe2+) and with valency +3 is named as Ferric ion (Fe3+). Its oxides will be
named as Ferrous oxide or Iron (II) oxide [FeO] and Ferric oxide or Iron (III) oxide [Fe2O3].

Question 17

(a) What is a chemical formula ?

(b) What is the significance of a formula ? Give an example to illustrate.

Answer
(a) A chemical formula also known as molecular formula employs symbols to denote
the molecule of an element or of a compound.

(b) The chemical/molecular formula of a compound has quantitative significance. It

represents:

1. both the molecule and the molecular mass of the compound.

2. the respective numbers of different atoms present in one molecule of the

compound.

3. the ratios of the respective masses of the elements present in the compound.

For example, the formula CO2 means that:

1. the molecular formula of carbon dioxide is CO2.

2. each molecule contains one carbon atom joined by chemical bonds with two
oxygen atoms.

3. the molecular mass of carbon dioxide is 44, given that the atomic mass of
carbon is 12 and that of oxygen is 16.

Question 18

What do you understand by the following terms ?

(a) Acid radical

(b) Basic radical

Answer

(a) An Acid radical is the radical that remains after an acidic molecule loses a hydrogen
ion (H+). Acid radicals typically have a negative charge. They are also called
electronegative radicals or anions.

(b) A Basic radical is the radical that remains after a base molecule loses a hydroxyl ion
(OH-). Basic radicals typically have a positive charge. They are also called
electropositive radicals or cations.

Question 19

Write the basic radicals and acidic radicals of the following and then write the chemical
formulae of these compounds.

(a) Barium sulphate

(b) Bismuth nitrate

(c) Calcium bromide

(d) Ferrous sulphide

(e) Chromium sulphate

(f) Calcium silicate

(g) Stannic oxide

(h) Sodium zincate

(i) Magnesium phosphate

(j) Sodium thiosulphate

(k) Stannic phosphate

(l) Nickel bisulphate

(m) Potassium manganate

(n) Potassium ferrocyanide

Answer

S. Basic Acidic
Compound Formula
No. radical radical

Barium
a Ba2+ SO42- BaSO4
sulphate

Bismuth
b Bi3+ NO3- Bi(NO3)3
nitrate

Calcium
c Ca2+ Br- CaBr2
bromide

Ferrous
d Fe2+ S2- FeS
sulphide

Chromium
e Cr3+ SO42- Cr2(SO4)3
sulphate

Calcium
f Ca2+ SiO32- CaSiO3
silicate
 S. Basic Acidic
Compound Formula
No. radical radical

Stannic
g Sn4+ O2- SnO2
oxide

Sodium
h Na1+ ZnO22- Na2ZnO2
zincate

Magnesium
i Mg2+ PO43- Mg3(PO4)2
phosphate

Sodium
j Na1+ S2O32- Na2S2O3
thiosulphate

Stannic
k Sn4+ PO43- Sn3(PO4)4
phosphate

Nickel
l Ni2+ HSO4- Ni(HSO4)2
bisulphate

Potassium
m K1+ MnO42- K2MnO4
manganate

Potassium
n K1+ Fe(CN)64- K4[Fe(CN)6]
ferrocyanide

Question 20

Give the names of the elements and number of atoms of those elements, present in the
following compounds.

(a) Sodium sulphate

(b) Quick lime

(c) Baking soda

(d) Ammonia

(e) Ammonium dichromate

Answer
(a) Sodium sulphate
Formula: Na2SO4
∴ It contains 2 atoms of Sodium (Na), 1 atom of Sulphur (S) and 4 atoms of Oxygen (O).

(b) Quick lime

Formula: CaO
∴ It contains 1 atom of Calcium (Ca) and 1 atom of Oxygen (O).

(c) Baking soda

Formula: NaHCO3
∴ It contains 1 atom of Sodium (Na), 1 atom of Hydrogen (H), 1 atom of Carbon (C) and
3 atoms of Oxygen (O).

(d) Ammonia
Formula: NH3
∴ It contains 1 atom of Nitrogen (N) and 3 atoms of Hydrogen (H).

(e) Ammonium dichromate

Formula: (NH4)2Cr2O7
∴ It contains 2 atoms of Nitrogen (N), 8 atoms of Hydrogen (H), 2 atoms of Chromium
(Cr) and 7 atoms of Oxygen (O).

Exercise 1(B)

Question 1

What is a chemical equation ? Why it is necessary to balance it ?

Answer

A chemical equation is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction using the

symbols and formulae of the substances involved in the reaction.

An equation must be balanced in order to comply with the "Law of Conservation of

Matter", which states that matter is neither created nor destroyed in the course of a
chemical reaction. An unbalanced equation would imply that atoms have been created
or destroyed.

Question 2

State the information conveyed by the following equation.

Zn(s) + 2HCl (aq) ⟶ ZnCl2 (aq) + H2↑

Answer

The given equation tells us:

 1. About the reactants involved and the products formed as a result of the reaction
and their state. Zinc (Zn) and Hydrochloric acid (HCl) are the reactants. Zinc is in
solid state and HCl is in aqueous solution state. The product Zinc Chloride
(ZnCl2) is also in aqueous solution state and Hydrogen is in gaseous state.

2. About the number of molecules of each substance taking part and formed in the
reaction. Here one molecule of Zinc and two molecules of Hydrochloric acid
react to give one molecule of Zinc chloride and one molecule of Hydrogen gas.

3. About chemical composition of respective molecules. For example, one

molecule of Zinc chloride contains one atom of Zinc and two atoms of Chlorine.

4. About molecular mass; that 65 parts by weight of Zinc reacts with 73 parts by
weight of Hydrochloric acid to produce 136 parts by weight of Zinc chloride and 2
parts by weight of Hydrogen.
Zn65(s)+2HCl73(aq)⟶ZnCl2136(aq)+H22↑65Zn(s)+732HCl(aq)⟶136ZnCl2
(aq)+2H2↑

5. 65 g of Zinc on treatment with 73 g of HCl, will produce 22.4 litres of hydrogen

gas at S.T.P.

6. It also proves the law of conservation of mass. According to the above equation,
138 gram of reactants are producing 138 gram of products.

Question 3

What is the limitation of the reaction given in question 2?

Answer

The equation of the given reaction does not tell us:

1. the time taken for the completion of the reaction.

2. whether heat is given out or absorbed during the reaction.

3. the respective concentrations of the reactants and the products.

4. the rate at which the reaction proceeds.

5. whether the reaction is completed or it is not completed.

Question 4

Write chemical equations for the following word equations and balance them.

(a) Carbon + Oxygen ⟶ Carbon dioxide

(b) Nitrogen + Oxygen ⟶ Nitrogen monoxide

(c) Calcium + Nitrogen ⟶ Calcium nitride

(d) Calcium oxide + Carbon dioxide ⟶ Calcium carbonate

(e) Magnesium + Sulphuric acid ⟶ Magnesium sulphate + Hydrogen

(f) Sodium reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide and hydrogen.

Answer

The balanced chemical equations for the word equations are given below:

(a) C + O2 ⟶ CO2

(b) N2 + O2 ⟶ 2NO

(c) 3Ca + N2 ⟶ Ca3N2

(d) CaO + CO2 ⟶ CaCO3

(e) Mg + H2SO4 ⟶ MgSO4 + H2↑

(f) 2Na + 2H2O ⟶ 2NaOH + H2↑

Question 5

Balance the following equations:

(a) Fe + H2O ⟶ Fe3O4 + H2

(b) Ca + N2 ⟶ Ca3N2

(c) Zn + KOH ⟶ K2ZnO2 + H2

(d) Fe2O3 + CO ⟶ Fe + CO2

(e) PbO + NH3 ⟶ Pb + H2O + N2

(f) Pb3O4 ⟶ PbO + O2

(g) PbS + O2 ⟶ PbO + SO2

(h) S + H2SO4 ⟶ SO2 + H2O

(i) S + HNO3 ⟶ H2SO4 + NO2 + H2O

(j) MnO2 + HCl ⟶ MnCl2 + H2O + Cl2

(k) C + H2SO4 ⟶ CO2 + H2O + SO2

(l) KOH + Cl2 ⟶ KCl + KClO + H2O

(m) NO2 + H2O ⟶ HNO2 + HNO3

(n) Pb3O4 + HCl ⟶ PbCl2 + H2O + Cl2

(o) H2O + Cl2 ⟶ HCl + O2

(p) NaHCO3 ⟶ Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2

(q) HNO3 + H2S ⟶ NO2 + H2O + S

(r) P + HNO3 ⟶ NO2 + H2O + H3PO4

(s) Zn + HNO3 ⟶ Zn(NO3)2 + H2O + NO2

Answer

(a) 3Fe + 4H2O ⟶ Fe3O4 + 4H2

(b) 3Ca + N2 ⟶ Ca3N2

(c) Zn + 2KOH ⟶ K2ZnO2 + H2

(d) Fe2O3 + 3CO ⟶ 2Fe + 3CO2

(e) 3PbO + 2NH3 ⟶ 3Pb + 3H2O + N2

(f) 2Pb3O4 ⟶ 6PbO + O2

(g) 2PbS + 3O2 ⟶ 2PbO + 2SO2

(h) S + 2H2SO4 ⟶ 3SO2 + 2H2O

(i) S + 6HNO3 ⟶ H2SO4 + 6NO2 + 2H2O

(j) MnO2 + 4HCl ⟶ MnCl2 + 2H2O + Cl2

(k) C + 2H2SO4 ⟶ CO2 + 2H2O + 2SO2

(l) 2KOH + Cl2 ⟶ KCl + KClO + H2O

(m) 2NO2 + H2O ⟶ HNO2 + HNO3

(n) Pb3O4 + 8HCl ⟶ 3PbCl2 + 4H2O + Cl2

(o) 2H2O + 2Cl2 ⟶ 4HCl + O2

(p) 2NaHCO3 ⟶ Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2

(q) 2HNO3 + H2S ⟶ 2NO2 + 2H2O + S

(r) P + 5HNO3 ⟶ 5NO2 + H2O + H3PO4

(s) Zn + 4HNO3 ⟶ Zn(NO3)2 + 2H2O + 2NO2

Exercise 1(C) — Short Answer Type

Question 1

What is the valency of :

(a) fluorine in CaF2

(b) sulphur in SF6

(c) phosphorus in PH3

(d) carbon in CH4

(e) Manganese in MnO2

(f) Copper in Cu2O

(g) Magnesium in Mg3N2

(h) nitrogen in the following compounds :

(i) N2O3 (ii) N2O5 (iii) NO2 (iv) NO

Answer

(a) Valency of fluorine in CaF2 is -1.

(b) Valency of sulphur in SF6 is +6.

(c) Valency of phosphorus in PH3 is +3.

(d) Valency of carbon in CH4 is +4.

(e) Valency of manganese in MnO2 is +4.

(f) Valency of copper in Cu2O is +1.

(g) Valency of magnesium in Mg3N2 is +2.

(h) Valency of nitrogen in the given compounds :

1. N2O3 = +3

2. N2O5 = +5

3. NO2 = +4

4. NO = +2

Question 2

Why should an equation be balanced ? Explain with the help of a simple equation.

Answer

An equation must be balanced in order to comply with the "Law of Conservation of

Matter", which states that matter is neither created nor destroyed in the course of a
chemical reaction. An unbalanced equation would imply that atoms have been created
or destroyed.

For example, consider the following unbalanced equation:

KNO3 ⟶ KNO2 + O2

In this equation, there are 3 oxygen atoms on the left side, but 4 oxygen atoms on the
right side. This means that the equation is not balanced and does not satisfy the law of
conservation of mass.

The balanced form of the equation is:

2KNO3 ⟶ 2KNO2 + O2

Now there are 6 oxygen atoms on both the sides. This means that the law of
conservation of mass is satisfied and the equation correctly represents the reaction.

Question 3

Define atomic mass unit.

Answer

Atomic mass unit is defined as 1⁄12 the mass of an carbon atom C-12.

Question 4

Write the balanced chemical equations of the following word equations.

(a) Sodium hydroxide + sulphuric acid ⟶ sodium sulphate + water

(b) Potassium bicarbonate + sulphuric acid ⟶ potassium sulphate + carbon dioxide +

water

(c) Iron + sulphuric acid ⟶ ferrous sulphate + hydrogen

(d) Chlorine + sulphur dioxide + water ⟶ sulphuric acid + hydrogen chloride

(e) Silver nitrate ⟶ silver + nitrogen dioxide + oxygen

(f) Copper + nitric acid ⟶ copper nitrate + nitric oxide + water

(g) Ammonia + oxygen ⟶ nitric oxide + water

(h) Barium chloride + sulphuric acid ⟶ barium sulphate + hydrochloric acid

(i) Zinc sulphide + oxygen ⟶ zinc oxide + sulphur dioxide

(j) Aluminium carbide + water ⟶ aluminium hydroxide + methane

(k) Iron pyrites (FeS2) + oxygen ⟶ ferric oxide + sulphur dioxide

(l) Potassium permanganate + hydrochloric acid ⟶ potassium chloride + manganese

chloride + chlorine + water

(m) Aluminium sulphate + sodium hydroxide ⟶ sodium sulphate + sodium meta

aluminate + water
(n) Aluminium + sodium hydroxide + water ⟶ sodium meta aluminate + hydrogen

(o) Potassium dichromate + sulphuric acid ⟶ potassium sulphate + chromium

sulphate + water + oxygen

(p) Potassium dichromate + hydrochloric acid ⟶ potassium chloride + chromium

chloride + water + chlorine

(q) Sulphur + nitric acid ⟶ sulphuric acid + nitrogen dioxide + water

(r) Sodium chloride + manganese dioxide + sulphuric acid ⟶ sodium hydrogen sulphate
+ manganese sulphate + water + chlorine

Answer

(a) 2NaOH + H2SO4 ⟶ Na2SO4 + 2H2O

(b) 2KHCO3 + H2SO4 ⟶ K2SO4 + 2CO2 + 2H2O

(c) Fe + H2SO4 ⟶ FeSO4 + H2

(d) Cl2 + SO2 + 2H2O ⟶ H2SO4 + 2HCl

(e) 2AgNO3 ⟶ 2Ag + 2NO2 + O2

(f) 3Cu + 8HNO3 ⟶ 3Cu(NO3)2 + 2NO + 4H2O

(g) 4NH3 + 5O2 ⟶ 4NO + 6H2O

(h) BaCl2 + H2SO4 ⟶ BaSO4 + 2HCl

(i) 2ZnS + 3O2 ⟶ 2ZnO + 2SO2

(j) Al4C3 + 12H2O ⟶ 4Al(OH)3 + 3CH4

(k) 4FeS2 + 11O2 ⟶ 2Fe2O3 + 8SO2

(l) 2KMnO4 + 16HCl ⟶ 2KCl + 2MnCl2 + 5Cl2 + 8H2O

(m) Al2(SO4)3 + 8NaOH ⟶ 3Na2SO4 + 2NaAlO2 + 4H2O

(n) 2Al + 2NaOH + 2H2O ⟶ 2NaAlO2 + 3H2

(o) 2K2Cr2O7 + 8H2SO4 ⟶ 2K2SO4 + 2Cr2(SO4)3 + 8H2O + 3O2

(p) K2Cr2O7 + 14HCl ⟶ 2KCl + 2CrCl3 + 7H2O + 3Cl2

(q) S + 6HNO3 ⟶ H2SO4 + 6NO2 + 2H2O

(r) 2NaCl + MnO2 + 3H2SO4 ⟶ 2NaHSO4 + MnSO4 + 2H2O + Cl2

Exercise 1(C) — Descriptive Type

Question 1
Sodium chloride reacts with silver nitrate to produce silver chloride and sodium nitrate

(a) Write the equation.

(b) Check whether it is balanced, if not balance it.

(c) Find the weights of reactants and products.

(d) State the law that this equation satisfies.

Answer

(a) NaCl + AgNO3 ⟶ AgCl + NaNO3

(b) The equation is balanced.

(c) Calculating the weights of reactants and products from the equation:

Thus, weights of reactants = weights of products = 228.5 g

(d) The equation satisfies the law of conservation of mass. It states that the total mass
of the substances on either side of the equation is the same.

Question 2

What information does the following chemical equations convey ?

(a) Zn + H2SO4 ⟶ ZnSO4 + H2

(b) Mg + 2HCl ⟶ MgCl2 + H2

Answer

(a) Zn65+H2SO498⟶ZnSO4161+H22(a) 65Zn+98H2SO4⟶161ZnSO4+2H2

The above balanced equation conveys the following information:

1. One molecule of zinc reacts with one molecule of sulphuric acid to produce one
molecule of zinc Sulphate and one molecule of hydrogen.

2. 65 g of zinc reacts with 98 g of sulphuric acid to produce 161 g of zinc Sulphate

and 2 g of hydrogen.

3. 65 g of zinc reacts with 98 g of sulphuric acid to produce 22.4 litres of hydrogen

gas at S.T.P.

4. It also proves the law of conservation of mass. According to the above equation,
163 gram of reactants are producing 163 gram of products.

(b) Mg24+2HCl73⟶MgCl295+H22(b) 24Mg+732HCl⟶95MgCl2+2H2

The above balanced equation conveys the following information:

 1. One molecule of magnesium reacts with two molecules of hydrochloric acid to
produce one molecule of magnesium chloride and one molecule of hydrogen.

2. 24 g of magnesium reacts with 73 g of hydrochloric acid to produce 95 g of

magnesium chloride and 2 g of hydrogen.

3. 24 g of magnesium reacts with 73 g of hydrochloric acid to produce 22.4 litres of

hydrogen gas at S.T.P.

4. It also proves the law of conservation of mass. According to the above equation,
97 gram of reactants are producing 97 gram of products.

Question 3

(a) What are poly-atomic ions ? Give two examples.

(b) Name and state the fundamental law that every equation must fulfill.

Answer

(a) Polyatomic ions are ions composed of two or more atoms that are covalently bonded
together and carry a net electrical charge. Examples — Nitrate ion (NO3-) and Sulphate
ion (SO42-).

(b) Every equation must fulfill the "Law of Conservation of Matter". It states that matter
is neither created nor destroyed in the course of a chemical reaction. Thus, the total
mass of the substances on either side of the equation must be the same.

Question 4

Give the information conveyed by the chemical formula of a compound.

Answer

By looking at the chemical formula, we understand the ratio in which different atoms
are united to form the molecule.

Question 5

Write the significance of a molecular formula.

Answer

The molecular formula of a compound has quantitative significance. It represents:

1. both the molecule and the molecular mass of the compound.

2. the respective numbers of different atoms present in one molecule of the

compound.

3. the ratios of the respective masses of the elements present in the compound.
For example, the formula CO2 means that:

1. the molecular formula of carbon dioxide is CO2

2. each molecule contains one carbon atom joined by chemical bonds with two
oxygen atoms;

3. the molecular mass of carbon dioxide is 44, given that atomic mass of carbon is
12 and that of oxygen is 16.

Question 6

What do you understand by radicals : What are basic and acidic radicals ? Explain with
examples.

Answer

A radical is an atom or a group of atoms of the same or of different elements that

behaves as a single unit with a positive or a negative charge.

An Acid radical is the radical that remains after an acidic molecule loses a hydrogen ion
(H+). Acid radicals typically have a negative charge. They are also called electronegative
radicals or anions.

A Basic radical is the radical that remains after a base molecule loses a hydroxyl ion
(OH-). Basic radicals typically have a positive charge. They are also called
electropositive radicals or cations.

For example, in the compound ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3, ammonium (NH4+) is a

basic radical with combining power 1 and carbonate (CO32-) is an acidic radical with
combining power 2.

Question 7

Give four examples of compounds with variable valency.

Answer

Name of
Metal Valency compound Formula
formed

Ferrous - [Iron (II)]

2 oxide FeO
Iron
3 Ferric - [Iron (III)] Fe2O3
oxide
 Name of
Metal Valency compound Formula
formed

Cuprous - [Copper
1 (I)] oxide Cu2O
Copper
2 Cupric- [Copper CuO
(II)] oxide

Mercurous -
1 [Mercury (I)] oxide Hg2O
Mercury
2 Mercuric - HgO
[Mercury(II)] oxide

Plumbous - [Lead
2 (II)] oxide PbO
Lead
4 Plumbic - [Lead PbO2
(IV)] oxide

Exercise 1(C) — Structured/Application/Skill Type

Question 1

Elements X, Y and Z have 3, 7 and 6 electrons in their valence shells respectively. Write
the formula of the compound formed between :

(a) X and Y

(b) X and Z

Answer

∴ Chemical formula of the compound formed between X and Z is X2Z3

Question 2

The following figure represents the structural formula of a chemical compound.

Answer the questions given below:

(a) How many Carbon and Hydrogen atoms are present in the compound.

(b) Write the molecular and empirical formulae of the compound.