Write balanced equations describing the reaction of lithium metal with each of the following: O2

Write balanced equations describing the reaction of lithium...

Key Concepts

Redox Reactions

Redox (reduction-oxidation) reactions are processes in which electrons are transferred between species. In the reactions involving lithium and other elements, lithium is typically oxidized, losing electrons while the other reactant is reduced. Understanding the electron transfer mechanism is crucial for properly balancing and predicting the products of these reactions.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry involves using the law of conservation of mass to ensure that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the chemical equation. This requires determining the correct coefficients for reactants and products so that each element is balanced, which is a fundamental skill in chemical reactions and quantitative analysis.

Alkali Metal Reactivity

The reactivity of alkali metals, such as lithium, is a key concept, as these metals have a single valence electron that they readily lose, leading to vigorous reactions with nonmetals and compounds. This high reactivity is utilized to predict the types of compounds they form, such as oxides, halides, and hydrides.

Reaction Types

Understanding different reaction types, such as synthesis reactions where elements combine to form compounds, helps in predicting the products and balancing the equations. Reactions of lithium with oxygen, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, water, and acids each belong to characteristic reaction categories that illustrate various aspects of chemical behavior, from simple combination to displacement reactions.

Transcript

00:01 All right, so this question has us looking at the reactivity of lithium metal with various species.

00:08 So i've gone ahead and written out each of these reactions and we can write the products and then we'll look to make sure the equation is balanced.

00:15 So firstly, when lithium metal reacts with oxygen, you end up with lithium oxide.

00:23 So, oh, i'm not on pen.

00:26 Lithium oxide.

00:28 And the reasons there's two lithium for one oxygen.

00:31 Again is because oxygen is going to have a two minus charge, whereas lithium is going to have a plus one charge.

00:37 So you need two lithiums to compensate the charge for the oxygen.

00:42 And now that the charge looks good, let's look at the equation overall.

00:46 And it's not balanced.

00:47 See, on the left we have one lithium.

00:49 On the right, we have two.

00:51 So i'm just going to go ahead and balance this for us.

00:53 You can double check me if you'd like.

00:55 It should just be a four and a two in order to balance that.

00:59 Now, when lithium reacts with sulfur, a similar thing happens because sulfur is right below oxygen, the reactivity can be rather similar.

01:08 So we're going to have lithium sulfide as a product.

01:14 And then in order looking at it, if it's balanced, we're just going to need to throw a two over here.

01:19 And now that should be balanced.

01:23 Now, with chlorine, in this case, chlorine gas, we are going to end up forming just lithium chlorine.

01:31 Chloride.

01:33 So, and in this case, there's only one lithium because chlorine is going to have a minus one charge.

01:44 Lithium will have a plus charge, so it's going to balance out the charge.

01:48 Now that the charge is balanced, we balance the equation.

01:53 Okay, that should be good...

Please give Ace some feedback