Question

How will you provide the following information in a chemical equation?

A liquid

Answer 1

1. Chemical Equation: A chemical equation is a shorthand method to describe the reaction taking place in terms of symbols and formulae of substances involved in the reaction.
2. Representation of physical states of reactants and products: A chemical equation must show the physical states of the substances involved. Solids are represented by the symbol (s), liquids by (l), gases by (g), and aqueous medium by (aq).
3. Example: The reaction between sodium ($\mathrm{Na}$) metal and the water (${\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$) produces sodium hydroxide ($\mathrm{NaOH}$) and hydrogen (${\mathrm{H}}_2$) gas and its chemical equation is written as-

$$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{Na}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to \mathrm{NaOH}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right) \\ \mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{water}\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{Hydrogen} \\ \mathrm{hydroxide}\mathrm{gas} \end{gathered}$$

4. Hence, a liquid is represented by the symbol (l) in a chemical equation.