Question

What do you read the arrow in a chemical equation as meaning?

Answer 1

Hint : In any chemical equation, the $\left( \to \right)$ is used to represent the change in the reaction. If reactants form a product, the transformation of reactants into product will be shown by $\left( \to \right)$ .

Complete Step By Step Answer:
A chemical equation is a reaction in which reactants react with each other to give one or more products. To separate the reactants with products, arrow $\left( \to \right)$ is used.
Moreover, the arrow $\left( \to \right)$ is also used to show the transformation of the reaction either in chemical or physical form.
The significance of arrow $\left( \to \right)$ in chemical form is explained by an example given below.
Let us suppose that there are two reactants named X and Y. These two reactants react with each other to form a product named Z.
Thus, to show the transformation of the reaction from reactants to products, the arrow $\left( \to \right)$ is used.
$X+Y\to Z$
Where, X and Y are reactants and Z is the product.
Now, the significance of arrow $\left( \to \right)$ in the physical form is explained by an example below.
Let us suppose that there is ice and by heating it we get liquid water. Thus as the water goes from solid-state to the liquid state through heating, the change is physical.
Thus,
${{H}_{2}}O\left( s \right)\to {{H}_{2}}O\left( l \right)$
Here, we have seen that water goes from solid to liquid state and its transformation is shown by the arrow $\left( \to \right)$ .
Hence, now we have seen the meaning of arrow $\left( \to \right)$ used in chemical reactions.

Note :
The arrow $\left( \to \right)$ in the chemical reaction can be used for two different types of transformations, one chemical and the other one, physical. Thus, it is important to note whether the equation has chemical transformation or physical transformation.