Chemical reactions are the interaction of chemicals to form new substances having distinct compositions. The chemicals that interact are called reactants that react to form products. The chemical compositions of the reacting elements or compounds dictate the nature of the reaction. Chemical reactions always occur in the world with different levels of complexity and control. There are simple reactions, such as when a piece of metal reacts to form rust when rained on, or the metabolic processes occurring in the human body. This paper provides an example of a chemical reaction to illustrate different classifications including their description. The reaction has been classified into various categories representing different chemical attributes.
The chemical reaction entails the combustion of methane gas (CH4) in the presence of oxygen gas (O2), which are the reactants. As the balanced chemical equation indicates, the reaction forms two products; water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide gas (CO2).
CH4 + 2O2 → 2H2O + CO2
The equation generally represents a combination reaction where different reactants combine to form a product. During combustion, hydrocarbon interacts with oxygen, producing light and heat. Methane gas acts as the fuel, and oxygen gas is the oxidizing agent. The reaction can be classified as redox because it implicates the exchange of electrons between the reactants. CH4 loses electrons to O2 through oxidation to produce CO2, and O2 gains electrons and gets condensed to form H2O. The reaction can further be classified as an exothermic reaction since heat is released in a highly exothermic process.
The example provided represents a simple chemical reaction where reactants interact to form products. The reaction can be classified under several categories, including combination, combustion, redox, and exothermic. The rationale for the classification has been provided, which mainly involves the exchange of electrons and the release of heat and light. The illustration forms part of chemistry that helps to provide a deeper understanding of the chemical processes.