Squigl It: What is a Chemical Reaction?

Chemistry happens in the world around you, not just in a lab. Matter interacts to form new products through a process called a chemical reaction or chemical change. Every time you cook or clean, it's chemistry in action.

Despite being young in age, American University of Sharjah (AUS) is acclaimed throughout the region for its academic excellence and multicultural campus life. Founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah, the university was envisaged by His Highness as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region.

Chemical synthesis, the construction of complex chemical compounds from simpler ones. It is the process by which many substances important to daily life are obtained. It is applied to all types of chemical compounds, but most syntheses are of organic molecules.

A reagent is a compound or mixture added to a system to cause a chemical reaction or test if a reaction occurs. A reagent may be used to tell whether or not a specific chemical substance is present by causing a reaction to occur with it.

A chemical equation is a type of relation you will encounter every day in chemistry. Here's a look at what a chemical equation is and some examples of chemical equations.

Atom, smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically charged particles. It also is the smallest unit of matter that has the characteristic properties of a chemical element. As such, the atom is the basic building block of chemistry.

Electron, lightest stable subatomic particle known. It carries a negative charge, which is considered the basic unit ofelectric charge The rest masso f the electron is 9.10938356 × 10−31 kg, which is only 1/1,836the mass of a proton. An electron is therefore considered nearly massless in comparison with a proton or a neutron, and the electron mass is not included in calculating the mass numbers of an atom.

Chemical reaction, a process in which one or more substances, the reactants, are converted to one or more different substances, the products. Substances are either chemical elements or compounds. A chemical reaction rearranges the constituentatoms of the reactants to create different substances as products.