In our daily lives, many chemical reactions happen all around us. It's important to know the materials we start with (reactants) and what we get at the end (products). But figuring these out can be tough. Here are some common examples:

1. Burning (Combustion):

   • Reactant: Things like gasoline or wood
   • Product: Carbon dioxide and water
   • Challenge: Burning can create harmful substances like soot and carbon monoxide, which makes it harder to create clean energy.

2. Making Food (Photosynthesis):

   • Reactant: Carbon dioxide and water
   • Product: Sugar (glucose) and oxygen
   • Challenge: Sometimes this process doesn’t work very well, especially when there’s pollution, which can hurt plant growth.

3. Making Alcohol (Fermentation):

   • Reactant: Sugars
   • Product: Alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide
   • Challenge: It can be hard to keep everything just right, which can lead to different amounts of the final product.

4. Mixing Acids and Bases (Neutralization):

   • Reactant: An acid (like vinegar) and a base (like baking soda)
   • Product: Salt and water
   • Challenge: Measuring exactly the right amounts can be tricky, which might mean having too much or too little of what you want.

To make these ideas clearer, students should try hands-on experiments. Paying close attention to what’s happening around them and being careful with measurements can help. This way, they can better understand how reactants and products work in the world around them.