Reactants are the starting points for chemical reactions. They are the substances that change during the reaction. You can think of them as the ingredients needed to create something new.

For instance, when you bake cookies, the flour, sugar, and eggs are your reactants. If you don’t have them, you can’t make cookies—you just end up with an empty bowl!

Here’s why reactants are important:

1. Starting Point: Reactants give you the initial materials that mix or break apart to create products. Just like in cooking, you can’t skip the reactants and expect to make something tasty.

2. Chemical Changes: When a chemical reaction happens, reactants change in their structure. This change leads to new substances known as products. It’s like mixing paint; if you start with blue and yellow (the reactants), you end up with green (the product).

3. Identification: In a chemical equation, reactants are usually listed on the left side. The products are on the right, separated by an arrow. This arrow shows that something has changed, just like a recipe shows how ingredients turn into delicious food.

In short, reactants are essential because they start the process of making something new in a chemical reaction!