This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals
EAL Nexus resource
Reactants and products
Subject:
Science
Age group(s):
8-11, 12-14
Topic:
Chemical reactions
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. ©British Council 2014
Source | This resource was originally developed by Alison Fisher and has been adapted by EAL Nexus.
What are the reactants and what
is the product?
Reactants
Product
How do you know a chemical
reaction has taken place?
Think about:
The colour has
changed
the egg
the colour
Gas is produced
and makes
bubbles.
gas
The protein in the egg
becomes firmer when it
is cooked.
How do you know which are
the reactants?
Think about:
When do you
use them?
They react with
each other to
make something
new
What happens
to them?
They are used at the
beginning of a chemical
reaction
How would you write an
equation for making a cake?
Discuss with your partner. You will need to
use all these words and symbols.
cake
+
butter
+
flour
+
eggs
sugar
Which are the reactants and
products?
• Spend a few minutes underlining the
reactants or products on your sheet
• When you are ready, compare your
answers with your partner and discuss
what you have written
It must
• Phrases you could use:
be the
It’s the
I think it’s the
reactant /
reactant/product reactant/product product
because….
because…
because…
Which are the reactants?
1. Haseeb took methane and burnt it in oxygen.
This produced carbon dioxide and water.
2. Iron sulphate is formed when iron is added to
sulphuric acid. Hydrogen gas is also given off.
3. Pupils found that sodium chloride and water
were formed when sodium hydroxide was
added to hydrochloric acid.
4. If you add nitric acid to sodium carbonate they
will react together and produce sodium nitrate,
carbon dioxide and water.
Which are the reactants?
Which are the products?
1. Haseeb took methane and burnt it in oxygen.
This produced carbon dioxide and water.
2. Iron sulphate is formed when iron is added to
sulphuric acid. Hydrogen gas is also given off.
3. Pupils found that sodium chloride and water
were formed when sodium hydroxide was
added to hydrochloric acid.
4. If you add nitric acid to sodium carbonate they
will react together and produce sodium nitrate,
carbon dioxide and water.
Which are the products?
1. Haseeb took methane and burnt it in oxygen.
This produced carbon dioxide and water.
2. Iron sulphate is formed when iron is added to
sulphuric acid. Hydrogen gas is also given off.
3. Pupils found that sodium chloride and water
were formed when sodium hydroxide was added
to hydrochloric acid.
4. If you add nitric acid to sodium carbonate they
will react together and produce sodium
nitrate, carbon dioxide and water.
Have you written the correct
equations?
1. methane + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water
2. iron + sulphuric acid  iron sulphate + hydrogen
3. sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid  sodium
chloride + water
4. nitric acid + sodium carbonate  sodium nitrate
+ carbon dioxide + water.