Chemical Change Examples

For those of you who are wondering, what is chemical change, it is a reaction that takes place when chemical bonds are broken due to environmental conditions and new bonds are formed between different atoms. This formation of new chemical bonds leads to a completely different product. During this breakage and formation of chemical bonds between the atoms, the particles of the original material collide with each other. There are exothermic and endothermic reactions that take place due to this collision which either releases or generates heat. This heat in turn causes certain chemical elements to undergo change in appearance and conditions. It is a common rule that whenever there are chemical reactions in nature, there is rearrangement of atoms and this is accompanied with an energy change forming new products. One of the very common chemical change examples is the reaction between sodium hydroxide and hydrogen chloride to form sodium chloride (NaCl) or table salt. There are more such chemical change examples mentioned in the following paragraphs, so take a look.

Examples of Chemical Change

With the above mentioned elaborated chemical change definition, you must have guessed what it is all about. If not, simply remember, that if you have one black crayon and one white, you color them over each other and get a completely different color, gray! That is exactly what a chemical change is, except that there are real atoms involved in them. In these chemical changes there are two types that take place, viz. the organic and the inorganic type of changes. Thus, let's take a look at some easy and everyday chemical change examples mentioned just for you below. More on chemical properties of elements.

Organic Chemical Change Examples
These chemical change examples involve organic compounds like isomers and those with chemical structures. When these organic compounds which have single, double and triple chemical bonds, break to form other compounds, they may or may not release heat. Read more on types of chemical bonds. Thus some of these chemical change examples are exothermic (release heat) or endothermic (use heat) for their reactions. One very important fact about all organic chemical changes or reactions is that they are not reversible. They cannot be brought back to their original forms after the change has taken place.

• Burning a log of wood
• Heating popcorn
• Baking a cake or pancakes
• Frying or boiling and egg
• Photosynthesis - a process in which carbon dioxide and water are changed into sugars by plants.
• Rotting of fruit
• Rusting nail
• Roasting a marshmallow
• Digestion of food
• Moldy cheese
• Souring milk
• Curdling of milk
• Polymerization of gels
• Different metabolic reactions in the cells
• Decomposition of waste
• Formation of energy in the cells of plants and animals

More on types of chemical reactions.

Inorganic Chemical Change Examples
For this type of chemical change, the concept of thermodynamics is completely applicable, as these reactions too are exothermic as well as endothermic. They are formed by using inorganic compounds like water, acids and bases. Inorganic chemical reactions and changes are however, reversible as well as irreversible. There are many inorganic compounds that can be isolated from their changed forms and brought back to their original states. Some such inorganic chemical change examples are given below, so take a look. More on sodium properties.

• Double displacement or metathesis
• Hydrolysis of substances
• Isomerization
• Paper becomes ash
• Processing film with the help of light
• Mixing an acid with a base, producing water and a salt
• Cracking heavy hydrocarbons to create lighter hydrocarbons (part of the process of refining oil)
• Combustion
• Explosion of fireworks
• Mixing chemicals
• Burning a magnesium strip
• Tarnishing silver
• Lighting a match
• Burning gas in a stove
• Oxidizing food for energy
• Freezing water
• Evaporating water
• Melting ice
• Defusing air

Thus, with such a wide variety of chemical change examples, you probably will be able to identify which chemical reaction around you is in which form. If there were no chemical reactions in the world, evolution would have never been possible, since it is Chemistry that runs nature!