plural chemicals Britannica Dictionary definition of CHEMICAL [count] : a substance (such as an element or compound) that is made by a chemical process A chemical reaction is a process in which one or more substances, the reactants, are converted to one or more different substances, the products. Substances are either chemical elements or compounds. A chemical reaction rearranges the constituent atoms of the reactants to create different substances as products.

Understanding the Context

Chemical synthesis, the construction of complex chemical compounds from simpler ones. It is the process by which many substances important to daily life are obtained. It is applied to all types of chemical compounds, but most syntheses are of organic molecules. Chemists synthesize chemical chemical engineering, the development of processes and the design and operation of plants in which materials undergo changes in their physical or chemical state.

Key Insights

Applied throughout the process industries, it is founded on the principles of chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The laws of physical chemistry and physics govern the practicability and efficiency of chemical engineering operations ... Chemical equilibrium is the condition in the course of a reversible chemical reaction in which no net change in the amounts of reactants and products occurs. A reversible chemical reaction is one in which the products, as soon as they are formed, react to produce the original reactants. Chemical bonding, any of the interactions that account for the association of atoms into molecules, ions, crystals, and other species.

Final Thoughts

When atoms approach one another, their electrons interact and tend to distribute themselves in space so that the total energy is lower than it would be in any alternative arrangement. Chemical Products Although nature provides us with a staggering amount of natural resources, humankind has also made use of a great variety of man-made compounds and substances. The chemical industry converts raw materials such as fossil fuels, water, salt, limestone, and sulfur into primary, secondary, and tertiary products. Fluorine, the most reactive chemical element and the lightest member of the halogen elements. Its chemical activity can be attributed to its extreme ability to attract electrons (it is the most electronegative element) and to the small size of its atoms.