Everyday Examples of Chemical Reactions We Come Across

Chemical reactions are a big part of our everyday lives. They happen all around us, often without us knowing. Here are some easy-to-understand examples:

1. Burning Fuels

• What It Is: Burning fuels is a chemical reaction where a substance, usually made from carbon, combines with oxygen to give off heat and light.
• Everyday Example: When we burn gasoline in cars or natural gas in our heaters, that's combustion. In a car, gasoline burns to make the engine go, and this creates carbon dioxide and water.
• Fact: According to the International Energy Agency, in 2021, the world used about 96 million barrels of oil every day, which shows how much burning fuels we do.

2. Photosynthesis

• What It Is: Photosynthesis is how green plants make their own food. They use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen.
• Simple Equation: You can think of it as:
  • 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
• Fact: It’s estimated that photosynthesis creates enough oxygen for about 2.5 million people each day!

3. Rusting Iron

• What It Is: Rusting is when iron reacts with oxygen and water from the air to form rust, which is iron oxide.
• Simple Equation: This can be written as:
  • 4 Fe + 3 O2 + 6 H2O → 4 Fe(OH)3
• Fact: According to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, rusting costs the world about $2.5 trillion every year.

4. Baking Bread

• What It Is: Baking involves different chemical reactions, like fermentation. This is when yeast turns sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol.
• Simple Equation: You could write this as:
  • C6H12O6 → 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2
• Fact: In Sweden, about 65% of homes bake bread at home, showing how common this process is in our meals.

These examples show how important chemical reactions are in our lives. They affect everything, from the food we eat to how we travel and build things.