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Chemistry vocabulary · Reactions and Equations

Chemical reaction

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

nounCore term

In chemistry, chemical reaction means: A process in which substances change into new substances with different properties, as bonds between atoms break and new bonds form.

In Turkish: kimyasal tepkime, kimyasal reaksiyon

How it is used

In lectures and labs people often just say 'the reaction'. Reactions take place, occur or go to completion; you set up, run, monitor and quench a reaction, then work it up. Common types are combustion, precipitation, redox and acid–base reactions.

Example sentences

  1. Bubbles, a color change or a rise in temperature can show that a chemical reaction has taken place.

  2. We monitored the chemical reaction by TLC every thirty minutes.

Common collocations

  • carry out a reaction
  • the reaction takes place
  • side reaction
  • reaction conditions
  • monitor a reaction
  • reactantA starting substance that is used up or changed in a chemical reaction. In an equation, these substances are written to the left of the arrow.
  • productA substance formed in a chemical reaction. In an equation, these new substances are written to the right of the arrow.
  • chemical equationA short written description of a reaction using formulas and symbols, with the reactants on the left, an arrow in the middle and the products on the right.
  • reaction rateHow fast reactants are used up or products are formed, usually measured as a change in concentration per unit time, for example in mol/L per second.
  • catalystA substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up. It works by offering a different pathway with a lower activation energy.

More terms: Reactions and Equations

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