chemical reactivity
Substance interaction potential
Chemical reactivity is how readily a substance undergoes chemical change when exposed to other substances, heat, light, or other conditions.
Highly reactive chemicals combine or decompose easily; stable ones resist change.
Sodium has high chemical reactivity—it bursts into flame on contact with water.
Reactivity determines how chemicals must be stored, handled, and combined.
- synthesisCombining parts into whole
- activation energyMinimum energy for transformation
- periodic tableSystematic display of elements
- noble gasUnreactive periodic table element
- free radicalUnstable, electron-seeking particle
temperature · valence electrons · oxidation-reduction · pressure · nucleophile · entropy · enthalpy · valence · unstable · volatile · oxidizer · corrosion · ionic · oxidation · bond breaking · precipitate · equilibrium · ignition
stability and resistance to change
chemical reactivitychemical stability
Resistance to molecular change