Ch04 Resources

ch 4 blurb

OpenStax Chemistry Chapter 4: Stoichiometry of Chemical Reactions


4.1 Writing and Balancing Chemical Equations

  • Derive chemical equations from narrative descriptions of chemical reactions. [C]

  • Write and balance chemical equations in molecular, total ionic, and net ionic formats. [C]


4.2 Classifying Chemical Reactions

  • Define three common types of chemical reactions (precipitation, acid-base, and oxidation-reduction) [R]

  • Classify chemical reactions as one of these three types given appropriate descriptions or chemical equations [A]

  • Identify common acids and bases [R]

  • Predict the solubility of common inorganic compounds by using solubility rules [A]

  • Compute the oxidation states for elements in compounds [R]

RESOURCES: Course videos "Aqueous Solutions and Precipitation Reactions" and "Introduction to Acids and Bases" as well as "Reduction Oxidation Reactions"


Students often have difficulty writing ionic equations. Keep in mind that the goal is to represent each compound in its most common form. Thus, when NaCl dissolves in water, it dissociates into Na⁺ and Cl⁻ions, and so, in an ionic equation, you will write Na⁺(aq) and Cl⁻(aq) instead of NaCl(aq). Compounds which aren't soluble, however, don't dissociate, even if they are ionic compounds. Thus, AgCl(s) is written as AgCl(s) in ionic equations because it is insoluble.


You will not have to memorize solubility rules, but you should be adept at using table 4.1 to determine if a given ionic compound is soluble or not.

4.3 Reaction Stoichiometry

  • Explain the concept of stoichiometry as it pertains to chemical reactions [A]

  • Use balanced chemical equations to derive stoichiometric factors relating amounts of reactants and products [U]

  • Perform stoichiometric calculations involving mass, moles, and solution molarity [U]


RESOURCES: Course video "Stoichiometry - Mass Relationships"

also Crash Course video, "Stoichiometry: Chemistry for Massive Creatures"

4.4 Reaction Yields

  • Explain the concepts of theoretical yield and limiting reactants/reagents. [C]

  • Derive the theoretical yield for a reaction under specified conditions.[R]

  • Calculate the percent yield for a reaction. [R]


RESOURCES: Course videos "Stoichiometry - Limiting Reagents" and "Limiting Reagent Example", and for yields, the course videos "Stoichiometry - Percent Yield" and "Percent Yield Example"


There is another approach to limiting reagent calculations that I believe is well worth learning, as it will help you in several subsequent chapters: the mole reaction method. It is described here, and I will present it in class.


4.5 Quantitative Chemical Analysis

  • Describe the fundamental aspects of titrations and gravimetric analysis. [A]

  • Perform stoichiometric calculations using typical titration and gravimetric data. [U]


RESOURCES: Course videos "Concentrations", "pH", "Aqueous Reactions", and "Titration Example"