Recognising Chemical Reactions
You can spot a chemical reaction by looking for telltale signs that something new is being created. Watch for colour changes (like blue turning red), temperature shifts, bubbles of gas forming, or solids appearing out of nowhere.
The magic happens when reactants (your starting materials) transform into completely new substances called products. Think of it like this: magnesium + oxygen → magnesium oxide. You're literally creating something that didn't exist before.
Exothermic reactions release energy and warm up their surroundings - like striking a match. Endothermic reactions do the opposite, absorbing energy and cooling things down - like an ice pack when you squeeze it.
The rate of reaction simply measures how quickly this transformation happens. Some reactions are lightning fast (like explosions), whilst others crawl along slowly (like rusting).
Key insight: There are four main ways to speed up any chemical reaction, and mastering these gives you control over chemistry itself.
Particle Size Effects
When you make particles smaller, reactions speed up dramatically. It's all about surface area - imagine trying to dissolve a whole sugar cube versus granulated sugar in your tea.
Smaller particles expose more surface area to other reactants, creating more opportunities for chemical collisions. More collisions mean faster reactions - it's that simple.