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Chemical Reactions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| chemical reaction | the process by which one or more substances change to produce one or more different substances |
| precipitate | a solid that is produced as a result of a chemical reaction in a solution |
| chemical formula | a combination of chemical symbols and numbers to represeent a substance |
| chemical equation | a representation of a chemical reaction that uses symbols to show the relationship between the reactants and the products |
| reactant | a substance or molecule that participates in a chemical reaction |
| product | a substance that forms in a chemical reaction |
| law of conservation of mass | the law that states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in ordinary chemical and physical changes |
| synthesis reaction | a reaction in which two or more substances combine to form a new compound |
| decomposition reaction | a reaction in which a single compound breaks down to form two or more simpler substances |
| single-displacement reaction | a reaction in which one element takes the place of another element in a compund |
| double-displacement reaction | a reaction in which a gas, a solid, precipitate, or a molecular compound forms from the exchange of ions between two compounds |
| exothermic reaction | a chemical reaction in which heat is released to the surroundings |
| endothermic reaction | a chemical reaction that requires heat |
| law of conservation of energy | the law that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be changed from one point to another |
| activation energy | the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction |
| inhibitor | a substance that slows down or stops a chemical reaction |
| catalyst | a substance that changes the rate if a chemical reaction without being used up or changed very much |