Chemistry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chemistry - Essay Example Substances react differently depending on the pH they have. Solutions having very high or very low pH are corrosive and should be handled with care. Chemical reaction is the term used to define the process in which two or more substances combine together to form a product that is different from the elements it has constituted from or the breakdown of a compound into its elements. In other words any process which involves the sharing or transfer of electrons, is a chemical reaction. A chemical reaction takes place when the reactants possess sufficient energy known as the activation energy of the reaction. Depending on the reactants involved and the conditions present, the reaction can be exothermic or endothermic. Chemical reactions involving reactive elements mostly go to completion while in some gases an equilibrium condition is achieved in which the products and reactants are present in equal proportions. A chemical reaction results in a change of chemical composition of the substances taking part in the reaction which is sometimes also coupled by a physical change. For example the reaction between hydrogen and water is initia ted by a spark which provides the activation energy for the reaction. The two gases combine chemically to form a new product, water that is different in physical as well as chemical properties from its constituent