Concept information
Preferred term
chemical reactions
Definition
- The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry's (IUPAC) definition of a chemical reaction is “a process that results in the interconversion of chemical species.” A chemical species is “an ensemble of the chemical elements which is identifiable as a separately distinguishable entity.” The transformation of reacting species into a new chemical product can be likened conceptually to events that occur in everyday life—it involves the interaction of objects (molecules, atoms, ions) with each other, and the outcome of the process is governed by their relative sizes, positions, and energies. A key has to be inserted correctly into a lock for it to be opened, and an egg's shell can be broken only by the application of sufficient force. [Source: Encyclopedia of Time: Science, Philosophy, Theology, & Culture; Chemical Reactions]
Broader concept
Narrower concepts
Belongs to group
URI
https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/chemical_reactions
{{label}}
{{#each values }} {{! loop through ConceptPropertyValue objects }}
{{#if prefLabel }}
{{/if}}
{{/each}}
{{#if notation }}{{ notation }} {{/if}}{{ prefLabel }}
{{#ifDifferentLabelLang lang }} ({{ lang }}){{/ifDifferentLabelLang}}
{{#if vocabName }}
{{ vocabName }}
{{/if}}