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What is chemical reaction

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Answered by GPT-4o mini
A chemical reaction is a process in which substances, known as reactants, undergo a transformation to form new substances, called products. During this process, the chemical bonds between atoms are broken and reformed, resulting in changes to the molecular structure of the substances involved.

Chemical reactions can be categorized in several ways, including:

1. **Synthesis (Combination) Reactions**: Two or more reactants combine to form a single product.
Example: \( A + B \rightarrow AB \)

2. **Decomposition Reactions**: A single compound breaks down into two or more products.
Example: \( AB \rightarrow A + B \)

3. **Single Replacement (Displacement) Reactions**: An element replaces another element in a compound.
Example: \( A + BC \rightarrow AC + B \)

4. **Double Replacement (Metathesis) Reactions**: The ions of two compounds exchange places to form two new compounds.
Example: \( AB + CD \rightarrow AD + CB \)

5. **Combustion Reactions**: A substance (usually a hydrocarbon) reacts with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy.
Example: \( C_xH_y + O_2 \rightarrow CO_2 + H_2O + \text{energy} \)

Chemical reactions often involve energy changes, either absorbing energy (endothermic reactions) or releasing energy (exothermic reactions). The study of chemical reactions is central to chemistry and is fundamental to various fields, including biochemistry, environmental science, and engineering.

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