14 examples of chemical reactions

A chemical reaction occurs when one or more compounds combine or transform into completely different compounds.

Chemical reactions are everywhere, not only in the specialized laboratories of industries, but also in the kitchen, in the environment and in the body.

Below we show you examples of chemical reactions that you will be able to recognize in your daily life.

1. Combustion reaction of cooking gas

Propane C.₃H₈ is an organic compound that reacts with oxygen O₂ from the air to produce carbon dioxide CO₂, water vapor H₂O and the energy used to heat food.

2. Oxidation-reduction reaction of car batteries

Car batteries are made from lead oxide PbO₂ and sulfuric acid H₂SW₄. These react giving rise to an electrical current necessary to start the car.

The reaction that occurs results in lead sulfate PbSO₄ and water:

3. Stomach acid neutralization reaction with antacids

Stomach acid is hydrochloric acid HCl. Some antacids contain magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)₂. In the stomach, hydrochloric acid is neutralized by magnesium hydroxide to produce magnesium chloride and water in an acid-base reaction:

4. Reaction of vinegar and eggshell

Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid CH₃COOH, which is a weak organic acid. The egg shell is made of calcium carbonate CaCO₃. When we put an egg in vinegar, we can see the appearance of some bubbles (carbon dioxide) and after a while the shell loses its rigidity.

The reaction that occurs between calcium carbonate and acetic acid produces calcium acetate CH₃COOCa and carbon dioxide CO₂:

5. ethanol combustion

Ethyl alcohol or ethanol can be used as fuel. In countries such as the United States and Brazil, fossil fuels are being replaced by ethanol, as part of measures to reduce greenhouse gases. The reaction that occurs is:

6. Hydrogen peroxide reaction on wounds

When we have a wound and we put hydrogen peroxide on ourselves, we almost immediately observe the appearance of bubbles. This occurs because in our blood cells we have an enzyme called catalase, which speeds up the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen:

7. Addition Reactions for LEGO

A polymer is a substance made up of many smaller molecules joined together. These are produced by addition reactions. For example, the polymer acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene or ABS is the substance with which LEGO blocks and 3D printed products are built.

The reaction occurs between styrene, butadiene and acrylonitrile:

8. Ozone formation reaction

ozone or₃ It is a compound that is abundant in the stratosphere, one of the layers of the Earth's atmosphere. This compound prevents the entry of harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.

Ozone results from the combination of molecular oxygen O₂ and elemental oxygen:

9. Milk sugar degradation reaction

Milk contains a sugar, lactose, made up of galactose and glucose. Human beings have an enzyme, lactase, which is responsible for accelerating the chemical reaction of lactose decomposition as follows:

Some people lose this enzyme when they become adults, so they no longer have the ability to digest milk.

10. neutralization reaction

Sodium Bicarbonate NaHCO₃ is a weak base that when reacted with hydrochloric acid HCl produces the sodium chloride salt NaCl, carbon dioxide CO₂ and water H₂EITHER:

For this reason, when we drink water with bicarbonate, we can feel stomach discomfort due to the gas that is produced in this reaction.

11. esterification reaction

Esters are organic compounds with fruity odors. In manufactured food products these compounds are used to impart flavor. It is much cheaper to chemically produce esters than to extract them from the fruits that produce them.

For example, the smell of banana is due to pentyl ethanoate. This ester is produced from the reaction of ethanoic acid and pentanol, in the presence of sulfuric acid as a catalyst:

12. baking powder reaction

Baking powder and self-rising flour contain tartaric acid COOH(CHOH) among its ingredients.₂COOH and sodium bicarbonate NaHCO₃. When the temperature is increased when baking or cooking a recipe with these compounds, the reaction occurs with the release of carbon dioxide, which causes the cakes to rise:

13. ocean acidification reaction

carbon dioxide CO₂ of the atmosphere dissolves in the water of the oceans and can react forming carbonic acid:

This reaction is responsible for the decrease in the pH of the oceans, which implies alterations in the marine ecosystem.

14. Corrosion reaction of iron

Corrosion of iron-containing materials is accelerated in humid conditions. Iron and oxygen in the air react in the presence of water in an oxidation-reduction type reaction. The oxide that forms is hydrated iron oxide Fe₂EITHER₃.H₂EITHER:

You may also be interested in seeing:

• Types of chemical reactions
• Endothermic and exothermic reaction
• types of chemical bonds

References

Commons, C., Commons, P (coordinators) (2020). Heinemann Chemistry 1, 5th ed. PearsonAustralia. Melbourne.

Moore, J.T. (2011) Chemistry for Dummies 2nd ed. Wiley Publishing. Indiana.