I was just wondering is this reaction correct? CH3OH + HBr = CH3Br + H2O It seems justified to me. (Yes. - GS). Do we put HBr over the reaction line because it is a reagent? (It is acceptable, but it will turn a reaction equation to a reaction scheme. - GS). Okay, thanks! So when would we use a reaction scheme instead of a reaction equation? (When you do not need to balance atoms, for instance when you plan a synthetic strategy or demonstrate chemical properties. - GS).