Word for when two chemicals are mixed together to form a chemical reaction?

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I am getting old. I am trying to think of the word for when two chemicals are mixed together to form a chemical reaction. Not exothermic, not endothermic or even thermal (term is more general), not binary chemicals. For some reason I think the word is common in everyday English thought it might be a form of the word.

Anyone know what the hell I am talking about?
 
Last edited:

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
What chemical reaction has no heat transfer? Are you sure this action is a chemical reaction?

We have alloys and compounds.
 

oz93666

Joined Sep 7, 2010
739
The word is Reaction

It's incorrect to say "two chemicals are mixed together to form a chemical reaction" a reaction is the process of combining ... what is "formed" is the product.

Endothermic reactions absorb heat from the environment (feel cold)

Exothermic reactions give off heat.
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
I can’t think of “the” word you’re looking for, but here are some common chemical reactions that might trigger your memory: Baking soda plus vinegar, alcohol plus vinegar (plus heat makes an ester), hydrochloride acid plus aluminum foil (releases hydrogen), carbide plus water (releases acetylene), bleach plus organics, fermentation, oxidation such as fire, oxidation such as rust.

Anything?
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
The word is "reaction" as stated by OZ93666. It forms an intransitive verb. In chemistry, one would say, "A reacts with B," or "A was allowed to react with B." One should not say, "A was reacted with B." At least, it was that way when punctuation and capitalization were still in vogue. Nevertheless, one does the latter construction.

The other words that have been mentioned are specific types of reactions, there are others such as hydrolysis, substitution, elimination, radical chain...
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
How about titration. The slow addition of one solution of a known concentration to a known volume of another solution of unknown concentration until the reaction reaches neutralization.
 

Ya’akov

Joined Jan 27, 2019
9,070
Guessing... “Compound”? “Solution”? “Catalyst”?

I know these words don’t strictly follow your description but just throwing them out there in case.
 
The word is "reaction" as stated by OZ93666. It forms an intransitive verb. In chemistry, one would say, "A reacts with B," or "A was allowed to react with B." One should not say, "A was reacted with B." At least, it was that way when punctuation and capitalization were still in vogue. Nevertheless, one does the latter construction.

The other words that have been mentioned are specific types of reactions, there are others such as hydrolysis, substitution, elimination, radical chain...
No. This is not Chemistry class or English class, it is "guess the word" class - it was an elective that you might have missed.

The TS said...
I am trying to think of the word for when two chemicals are mixed together to form a chemical reaction.
It is the second sentence. He used the word "reaction" in the question. If that were the word, it would be like asking "What is that word, reaction, I can't remember the word reaction, can anyone tell me the word reaction?

The accuracy of the expression that he is using to try to prime the memory is distinctly not the point. It is as though I were to say, as my answer, "It's not that you are getting old, it is that you are old".

You could have asked to use a lifeline.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I bet the word he was looking for was oxidation.
How about titration. The slow addition of one solution of a known concentration to a known volume of another solution of unknown concentration until the reaction reaches neutralization.
Guessing... “Compound”? “Solution”? “Catalyst”?

I know these words don’t strictly follow your description but just throwing them out there in case.
Nope. Remember the root word is in fairly common use. At least Yakov got close with that.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
I can’t think of “the” word you’re looking for, but here are some common chemical reactions that might trigger your memory: Baking soda plus vinegar, alcohol plus vinegar (plus heat makes an ester), hydrochloride acid plus aluminum foil (releases hydrogen), carbide plus water (releases acetylene), bleach plus organics, fermentation, oxidation such as fire, oxidation such as rust.

Anything?

Exactly what I mean but not sparking anything but thanks.

But it does spark something when two reasonably safe chemicals can combine to create a noxious gas. Can't think of any two right now. But maybe something that someone foolishly might throw in your toilet like bleach and some other chemical that can create chlorine gas.
 
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