Chemical reactions occur when bonds are formed or broken between molecules due to heat, radiation, or foreign chemicals. They can be classified into synthesis, analysis, substitution, and combustion. Enzymes are catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions. The number of possible chemical reactions is immense, especially in organic chemistry. The Haber-Bosch process is a crucial chemical reaction for creating artificial fertilizers.
Chemical reactions occur whenever bonds are formed or broken between molecules. Why certain atoms combine with other atoms is a complex question that is comprehensively explained by quantum chemistry. The simple version is that atoms bond together electromagnetically based on the properties of their electron shells. There are various types of chemical bonds; in general, the more closely the electron shells overlap, the stronger the bond. Chemical reactions occur when heat, radiation and/or foreign chemicals disturb an equilibrium condition and cause chemical bonds to break and/or form, giving rise to new molecular shapes.
Chemical reactions can be classified into a few categories. The simplest is probably synthesis, where two or more molecules or atoms combine into a new molecule. For example, iron plus oxygen forms iron oxide or rust. The opposite of synthesis is analysis, or chemical decomposition, where a molecule breaks down into its constituents. This occurs when the electrolysis of water produces oxygen and hydrogen gas. Substitution, another variety of chemical reaction, occurs when a more reactive atom or molecule expels part of another molecule and takes its place. This happens every time an acid eats into a metal. And finally there is combustion, which occurs when something like wood undergoes oxidation and is incinerated.
The number of possible chemical reactions in nature is extremely huge. There are more than billions of them: because very large molecules have so many components, the number of possible reactions is immense. This is especially true in organic chemistry, where molecules of millions of atoms are the norm. Life is possible thanks to the enormous amount of possible chemical configurations obtainable from organic molecules.
Especially in organics, special molecules called enzymes are capable of accelerating chemical reactions without themselves undergoing any chemical changes. Another word for this is a catalyst. Without catalytic enzymes, the daily cascade of the many reactions that make up life would take too long to be practical. In automobiles, catalytic converters process engine exhaust to be much less toxic than it otherwise would be. A very important task of chemists is to fully understand catalysts.
It is impossible to underestimate the importance of chemical reactions in the world we live in. Numerous scientific advances occur when we understand even a little more about chemistry. Perhaps one of the most important to human civilization is the Haber-Bosch process, a chemical reaction in which nitrogen from the atmosphere is compressed and combined with other chemicals in a superheated environment to create artificial fertilizers. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to grow all the plants we use for food, and the world’s population would be much smaller and hungrier.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
