Types of Chemical Reactions

The world would be extremely boring if it were not for chemical reactions. In chemical reactions, substances are broken down into simpler substances, combined to make more complicated substances, or just recombined into something new. No matter which of these happens, bonds are broken in the reactant and new bonds are formed in the product. In other words, the atoms in the reactant are rearranged to form the product.

In this topic, you learned what happens during five very general types of reactions: synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, and combustion. A synthesis reaction is easily recognized by the fact that there is one substance in the product. A decomposition reaction is easily recognized by the presence of only one substance in the reactant. In a single replacement reaction, a metal replaces a metal in a compound or a nonmetal replaces a nonmetal in a compound. Either way, there is a compound and an element in the reactant. In a double replacement reaction, there are two ionic compounds in the reactant. Combustion reactions always require the presence of oxygen.