Chemical Equations As shown in Figure 4.1.1, applying a small amount of heat to a pile of orange ammonium dichromate powder results in a vigorous reaction known as the ammonium dichromate volcano. Heat, light, and gas are produced as a large pile of fluffy green chromium(III) oxide forms. This reaction is described with a chemical equation, an expression that gives the identities and quantities of the substances in a chemical reaction. Figure 4.1.1: An Ammonium Dichromate Volcano: Change during a Chemical Reaction. The starting material is solid ammonium dichromate. A chemical reaction transforms it to solid chromium(III) oxide, depicted showing a portion of its chained structure, nitrogen gas, and water vapor (in addition, energy in the form of heat and light is released). During the reaction, the distribution of atoms changes, but the number of atoms of each element does not change. Because the numbers of each type of atom are the same in the reactants and the products, the chemical
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