Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Word Equations Practice: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 8
- ForYear 8
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Word Equations Practice is a free printable science worksheet for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13) in Key Stage 3. Children complete the missing product or reactant in word equations for common reactions, including burning, reactions between metals and acids, and neutralisation. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up the answers, help ideas and a stretch task.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Each question on the sheet is a word equation with one substance missing. Children read the reactants on the left, think about what is made, and write the missing name on the line. The reactions include metals with oxygen, an acid reacting with a metal, neutralisation and burning a fuel. Children use what they know about chemical reactions and keep the elements in mind as they answer.
- magnesium + oxygen gives ______
- hydrogen + oxygen gives ______
- carbon + oxygen gives ______
- iron + sulfur gives ______
- zinc + hydrochloric acid gives zinc chloride + ______
- sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid gives sodium chloride + ______
- methane + oxygen gives carbon dioxide + ______
A worked example
______ + oxygen gives calcium oxide
This is a different reaction from the ones on the sheet. It shows two ways to find a missing reactant.
Method 1: read the name of the product- Look at the product, calcium oxide.
- Its name tells you which substances it contains: calcium and oxygen.
- Oxygen is already on the left, so the missing reactant must be calcium.
- List the elements in the product: calcium and oxygen.
- Tick each one that already appears on the left. Oxygen does.
- Write the element that is not ticked in the blank: calcium.
What is a word equation?
A word equation is a short way to describe a chemical reaction using the names of the substances. The reactants are on the left. They are the substances you start with. The products are on the right. They are the substances that are made. The word gives, or an arrow, shows the change from one side to the other.
Word equations are a first step before symbol equations. They ask children to know the names of substances and to think about which elements are involved. In a reaction, atoms are rearranged into new substances. They are not lost or made from nothing, so the elements on the right must come from the left.
Quick science facts
- In a chemical reaction, the substances you start with are called reactants.
- The new substances made in a reaction are called products.
- Atoms are rearranged in a reaction. They are not created or destroyed.
- In a closed container, the total mass stays the same before and after a reaction.
- Burning a fuel in oxygen is a type of chemical reaction.
Skills and curriculum link
- Chemical reactions
- Naming products
- Naming reactants
- Word equations
- Conservation of mass
Ideas that help with word equations
- Left and rightReactants go on the left and products go on the right. Check which side the blank is on before you answer.
- Follow the elementsEvery element in a product must come from a reactant. Use this to check an answer makes sense.
- Know the reaction typeBurning, neutralisation and reactions with acids each follow a pattern. Spotting the type narrows down the answer.
- Names, not formulaeA word equation uses full names. Write the name of the substance, not its chemical symbols.
Key words
- ReactantA substance that is there at the start of a reaction and is changed by it.
- ProductA new substance that is made in a reaction.
- Word equationA way to show a reaction using the names of the reactants and products.
- Chemical reactionA change that makes one or more new substances.
- Conservation of massIn a closed system, the total mass before a reaction equals the total mass after it.
- NeutralisationA reaction between an acid and an alkali that makes a salt and water.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first equation aloud. Ask which side the blank is on and what the reactants are.
- Let your child write each missing name. Ask them to say which elements they expect in the answer.
- Allow about 15 minutes, then mark together using page 2. Ask, "How did you decide?"
- Come back another day and redo any that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Give a word bank of the missing substances, with one or two extra names that do not fit. Let the child cross each word off once used. Start with the equations that have the simplest reactants, and ask which elements must appear in the answer.
To stretch confident children
Ask your child to write the type of reaction beside each equation, such as combustion, oxidation, neutralisation, thermal or displacement. Then they write one equation of their own and swap it with a partner, who fills in the missing substance.
Make it a game
Write each equation on a card, then cover one substance with a sticky note. A partner reads the visible words and names the hidden substance. Swap roles. Score one point for each correct name, and the first to reach eight wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child writes a reactant from the left in the blank instead of a new product.
Try thisAsk, "Is this a substance we start with or one that is made?" Underline the arrow and check which side the blank is on.
Watch forA child writes chemical symbols or a formula when the sheet asks for a name.
Try thisRemind them a word equation uses words only. Say the full name aloud, then write it.
Watch forA child gives an answer with an element that is not in any reactant.
Try thisTick each element in the answer against the left side. If one is missing from the reactants, the answer needs rethinking.
Talk about it
- What is the difference between a reactant and a product?
- How can you tell which side of the equation the blank is on?
- Which elements must be in the answer, and how do you know?
- What type of reaction do you think this one is, and why?
- Why does the total mass stay the same in a closed container?
- Which equation was the hardest, and what helped you decide?
Take it off the page
Equation cards
Write the reactants on one set of cards and the products on another. Mix them up and match each pair. Check by reading each match as a word equation.
Change spotter
Look around the home for signs of chemical change, such as a rusty gate or toast that has browned. Talk about what the reactants might have been. No experiments needed.
Equation dominoes
Make dominoes with a reactant on one end and a product on the other. Take turns to join them so that each join makes a sensible word equation.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first equation, then let them lead. Ask them to explain each answer in their own words. Short sessions of ten to fifteen minutes work well. Page 2 has the answers when you are ready to check.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary after teaching chemical reactions, an early finisher task or homework. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers make marking quick.
Home educators
Use it as part of a wider science plan, or as revision a few weeks after covering reactions. Talk through each answer, then use the stretch idea to ask for the reaction type and a new equation of the learner's own.
Where this fits in science
Before this sheet, children learn about particles, elements, compounds and the difference between physical and chemical changes. They also learn the names of common substances such as acids and metals. That gives them the vocabulary to name reactants and products.
After this sheet, children move on to symbol equations and to balancing them, and look more closely at patterns in reactions. Writing word equations first builds the habit of thinking about which substances go in and which come out.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Word Equations Practice for?
It is written for Year 8 (ages 12 to 13) in Key Stage 3. It also works as revision for older pupils, or as a stretch task for confident Year 7 children who have already met chemical reactions.
- What will children practise?
They practise completing word equations by naming a missing product or reactant. This builds knowledge of common reactions, naming substances and the idea that the elements in a product come from the reactants.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 15 minutes. Allow a little longer if you talk through each equation together, which is a good idea the first time. Marking together with page 2 works well straight afterwards.
- What if it feels too hard?
Give a word bank of the missing substances plus one or two extra names, and let your child cross each off once used. Ask which elements must be in the answer. Work through the first equation together.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 includes answers and ideas for support and stretch.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Print both pages, give page 1 to the child and keep page 2 for the grown up.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.