The 11 types of chemical reactions

Chemistry allows us to mix components... resulting in a kind of chemical reaction.

The different substances present in nature interact with each other continuously.... Things as common as lighting a match, dissolving a medicine in water or even our breathing, obey what are known as chemical reactions.

In this article we will look at some of the most common types of chemical reactions, as well as explanations about their mechanics and the effects produced by these interactions between molecules.

Chemical reaction: explaining the concept

A chemical reaction is understood as any interaction between substances in which chemical bonds are generated or broken, generating new compounds. The initial compounds are called reactants, while the result of the reaction are the products..

These reactions can be reversible in some cases, being able to return the reactants to their previous state, but in other cases they are consumed and the reaction is irreversible. As the reaction proceeds, there is a moment when there is an equilibrium between reactant and product and the reaction ceases.

In any case, the atoms are neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed, as happens with the conservation of energy. Chemical reactions are an example of how they can be transformed from being part of one molecule to being in another.

Main types of chemical reactions

There are a large number of possible ways in which the interaction between compounds can occur, presenting different characteristics and peculiarities. Some of the main types of chemical reactions between compounds are as follows.

1. Synthesis or addition reactions

In this type of chemical reaction, two or more substances combine to form a single compound.. The combination of metal and oxygen to form oxides is an example, since it gives rise to relatively stable molecules that in some cases can be used to manufacture materials frequently found in our daily lives.

2. Decomposition reactions

Decomposition reactions are those in which a particular compound decomposes and splits into two or more substances. into two or more substances. This is what happens, for example, when water is electrolyzed, separating the water into hydrogen and oxygen.

3. Displacement, substitution or exchange reactions

One of the types of chemical reaction in which one element of a compound passes to another due to their interaction.. In this case the transferred element is attracted to the other component, which must have greater strength than the initial compound.

4. Ionic reactions

This is a type of chemical reaction that occurs upon exposure of ionic compounds to a solvent.. The soluble compound dissolves, dissociating into ions.

5. Double substitution reactions

This is a reaction similar to that of substitution.with the exception that in this case one of the elements that form one of the compounds passes to the other at the same time that this second compound passes to the first one one of its own components. It is necessary for the reaction to take place that at least one of the compounds does not dissolve.

6. Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions

This is the name given to that type of chemical reaction in which there is an exchange of electrons.. In oxidation reactions one of the compounds loses electrons to the other, becoming oxidized. The other compound would be reduced by increasing its number of electrons.

This type of reaction occurs both in nature and artificially. For example, it is the type of reaction that causes us to need to breathe (acquiring oxygen from the environment) or plants to photosynthesize.

7. Combustion reactions

An extremely rapid and energetic type of oxidation, in which an organic substance reacts with oxygen.. This reaction generates energy (usually heat and light) and can generate flames and usually results in a product in the form of a gas. A typical example is the combustion of a hydrocarbon or the consumption of glucose.

8. Neutralization reactions

This type of chemical reaction occurs when a basic substance and an acidic substance interact in such a way that they interact in such a way that they neutralize each other to form a neutral compound and water.

9. Nuclear reactions

This is the name given to is a chemical reaction in which the electrons of the atoms are modified, not their electrons, but their nuclei.. This combination or fragmentation will cause a high level of energy. The combination of atoms is called fusion, while their fragmentation is called fission.

10. Exothermic reactions

An endothermic reaction is any chemical reaction that results in the release of energy.. Generally, these energy emissions are at least in the form of heat, although in the cases in which explosions occur, kinetic energy also appears.

11. Endothermic reactions

Endothermic reactions are all those types of chemical reaction in which the interaction between elements absorbs energy from the mediumThe final product is much more energetic than the reactants.

Do chemical reactions explain the world?

A reductionist view of reality could make us think that almost everything that happens in the world can be understood as chemical reactions. For example, it is a popular idea that human consciousness is actually the result of biochemical reactions in the brain.

This way of thinking based on the interaction between subatomic elements, atoms and molecules (and their corresponding types of chemical reactions) is intuitive and easy to conceive, since starting from a series of relatively simple and identical elements in all parts of the cosmos, the complexity of phenomena that occur on a larger scale and that are linked to contexts that are and which are linked to unique and unrepeatable contexts. We assume that in order to understand the complex, we must begin with that which is not so complex and without which the rest of nature (including the human) would not exist.

However, we must not forget that nature is too complex to study it only through this area of science, just as it would be insufficient to study it exclusively through physics. We must also pay attention to phenomena that occur at the macro level, in order to reach a global understanding of what is happening around us and in our own organism.

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