Science Common Sense

99 - How do chemical reactions occur?

A chemical reaction is when two or more substances (called chemicals) mix together and create a new substance.

Imagine you have some LEGO blocks. Each LEGO block is like an atom, which is the tiny building block of everything around us. When these LEGO blocks (atoms) collide, they can break apart or attach to each other in a new way, creating a new LEGO structure (a new substance).

This collision is called a chemical reaction. It happens when the atoms have enough energy to break or form new bonds between them. The result is a new substance with different properties.

Examples of chemical reactions include:

• Burning wood (wood + oxygen → ash + heat + light)
• Mixing baking soda and vinegar to make a volcano erupt (baking soda + vinegar → carbon dioxide gas + water)
• Your body turning food into energy

Chemical reactions happen all around us, all the time, and they help make our world what it is today.