chemical reaction

noun

: a chemical change that occurs when two or more substances combine to form a new substance

Examples of chemical reaction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Airbag inflators rely on a chemical reaction that produces gas that rapidly inflates the airbag. Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 One possibility is that the presence of certain substances, such as iron, at the archaeological sites might be triggering a chemical reaction that makes the brain tissue more stable. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2024 Scorching temperatures within the dump have increased and expanded since as early as May 2022, when a heat-generating chemical reaction is estimated to have started deep in the landfill. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The science behind this unfortunate transformation is a complicated chemical reaction called oxidation. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 12 Mar. 2024 Bioluminescence is the ability of certain organisms to produce light through a chemical reaction within their bodies. Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 That chemical reaction doesn't last forever, so the battery will eventually die. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2024 In the event that Assange should die in prison, a remote-control button will be activated to set off the chemical reaction, and the contents of the safe will disintegrate. Nadia Beard, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024 Hundreds of feet underground, in a long-dormant portion of Chiquita Canyon landfill, tons of garbage have been smoldering for months due to an enigmatic chemical reaction. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chemical reaction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Chemical reaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemical%20reaction. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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