Most of the products in our life are the result of chemical reactions in everyday life; chemical reaction examples around us include toothpaste, cleaning agent, and shampoo. A chemical reaction can be defined as the process in which some set of chemical substances react with one another, which leads to the conversion into other different forms of substances. The initial substances which enter the reaction are called the reactants, and the substances which are formed as the result of a chemical reaction are called products.

Amazing Chemical Reactions

1. Aerobic respiration

Well, you would be surprised to know that all the physical movements are also part of chemical reactions in everyday life. These processes which involve physical movement need energy which is produced by aerobic respiration. This process is the opposite of photosynthesis, the cells break down food which is in mitochondria in a long and multi-process which roughly produces 36 ATP. Three steps are involved in it, the first step is glycolysis, the second one is a citric acid cycle and the last is the electron transport system. The following formula is used in aerobic respiration.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2+ 6H2O + Energy (36 ATPs)

2. Rusting of iron

Rusting of iron is also a common example of chemical reactions in everyday life. If iron is left in the moist and open air it corrodes into a red-brown substance. This substance is also known as rust. This rusting of iron is also known as corrosion of iron. Air and water are needed for the rusting process. The process takes a very long time to occur. It is an oxidation reaction and uses the following formula.

4Fe + 3O2 + 6H2O → 4Fe(OH)3

3. Metabolism

This chemical reaction is used by plants to convert carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. It is known as photosynthesis. This can be termed as the most common and important chemical reaction because this is how plants produce food for animals and themselves as well. The following formula is used in this chemical reaction.

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6 O2

4. Cooking eggs

A chemical reaction is involved in cooking as well. It uses heat for changes in the food. Cooking of eggs is a common example, where hydrogen sulfide is produced by heating the egg white. This reacts with the iron in the egg yolk and forms a grayish-green ring around the yolk.

5. Chemical battery

The chemical battery also uses an electrochemical reaction to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. This is a redox reaction. A spontaneous redox reaction takes place in galvanic cells and a nonspontaneous reaction takes place in the electrolytic cells.

6. Burning of wood

Burning a wood also involves a chemical reaction; wood is transformed into carbon dioxide, ash and water vapor in the presence of oxygen and heat. The following formula is used during the burning of wood.

C3H8 + 5O2 → 4H2O + 3CO2 + energy

7. Anaerobic Respiration

Anaerobic respiration has a set of chemical reactions which allow cells to gain energy from other complex molecules without oxygen. These reactions mostly occur during intense and prolonged exercise when you exhaust oxygen. These reactions performed by bacteria and yeast are harnessed for fermentation to produce carbon dioxide, ethanol and other reactions which make wine, beer, cheese, yogurt, bread, and some other common product. The following chemical formula is used in this process.

C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + energy

8. Mixing Different Chemicals

Chemical reactions also occur when we mix different chemicals as well. For example, when we combine vinegar with baking soda for the chemical volcano, we experience a metathesis reaction. There are some other reactions as well. The same is experienced when we combine milk with baking powder in a recipe. All these ingredients recombine to produce water and carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide which is produced forms bubbles in the volcano which helps in baking goods. They look like a simple chemical reaction but it involves multiple steps. The overall chemical reaction of vinegar and baking soda is given below.

HC2H3O2(aq) + NaHCO3(aq) → NaC2H3O2(aq) + H2O + CO2(g)

9. Digestion

There are thousands of chemical reactions involved in the digestion process. When you put the food in your mouth, an enzyme in the saliva which is called amylase starts the breakdown of sugar and carbohydrates into simple forms so that the body can absorb them. Then, hydrochloric acid in the stomach reacts with the food to break it down, enzymes on the other hand cleave fats and proteins so that they can be absorbed in the bloodstream using the walls of intestines.

10. Soaps and Detergents

Chemical reactions are involved in the cleaning processes as well. The chemical reactions in soaps and different detergents are responsible for the cleaning power of these products. Soap emulsifies grime, the oily stains bind to the soap during the emulsification and then they are lifted away with water.

Detergents also act as surfactants; they lower the surface tension of the water and then interact with oils and isolate them and rinse them away from clothes and other materials.

11. Acid-Base Reactions

When we combine an acid with a base, we are performing an acid-base reaction. Acids like lemon juice, vinegar sulfuric acid can be combined with bases like soap, acetone, baking soda and ammonia. These reactions neutralize acid and base to yield water and salt. The chemical reaction for an acid-base reaction which produces potassium chloride is given below.

HCl + KOH → KCl + H2O

Wind-up

Each and everything around us is going through some chemical reaction. Simple daily routine things like preparation of food, cooking the food and then digestion of food also involves chemical reactions. In short, there are many processes around us which involve chemical reactions like cleaning, burning of wood and the use of batteries. You can watch some other amazing chemical reactions in this video.