Question

Explain the term reactant and product giving examples.

Answer 1

1. The substances taking part in a chemical reaction are called reactants. [1 mark]

2. The substances formed due to a chemical reaction are called products. [1 mark]

Example: Coal (carbon) and oxygen (from the air) react to form carbon dioxide. Here, coal and oxygen are the reactants and carbon dioxide is the product.
The reaction is represented as:

$C+O_2\stackrel{}{\to }{\mathrm{CO}}_2$
[1 mark]