Chemical reactions in daily life

Chemical reactions can happen around us, not just in the laboratory. Material to build new products. Every time we cook or are clean, it is also an ingredient in action. Our bodies live and grow thanks to chemical reactions. There are reactions when we take medicine, spasms, and breathing. Here are 10 examples of chemical reactions in everyday life. This looks a small example, because we see and experience hundreds of thousands or even more chemical reactions every day.

1. Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy, usually from the Sun, into a chemical energy that can be liberated to fuel organism activity. This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water. In most cases, oxygen is also produced as a waste product. Most plants, mostly algae, and cyanobacteria do photosynthesis, and these organisms are called photoautotrophs. Photosynthesis maintains atmospheric oxygen levels and supplies all of Earth's organic compounds and most of the energy needed for life on Earth.

Briefly, plants use a chemical reaction called photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into food (glucose) and oxygen. It is one of the most common chemicals and reactions of carbon dioxide into oxygen.

=> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6 O2

2. Burning

Every time we light a match, burn a candle, make a fire, or light a grill, we will see a burning reaction. Combustion combines energetic molecules with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water.

For example, propane combustion reactions, found in gas grills and some fireplaces, are:

=> C3H8 + 5O2 → 4H2O + 3CO2 + energy

3. Rust

Rust is iron oxide, usually a red oxide formed by redox reactions of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air humidity. Some forms of rust are distinguished both visually and by spectroscopy, and form under different circumstances. Rust consists of hydrated iron (III) oxide Fe2O3 · nH2O and iron (III) oxides-hydroxides (FeO (OH), Fe (OH) 3).

In sufficient time, oxygen, and water, every iron mass will eventually convert entirely of rust and crumbling. The rust surface is flaked and brittle, and provides no protection to the base iron, such as the formation of patina on the surface of the copper. Rust is a general term for corrosion of iron and its alloys, such as steel. Many other metals have equal corrosion, but the resulting oxide is not commonly called rust.

Here is the chemical equation for iron rust::

=> Fe + O2 + H2O → Fe2O3. XH2O

4. Battery

Batteries are electrical-chemical devices that store energy and emit energy in the form of electricity. A battery usually consists of three important components, namely:

1. carbon rod as anode (positive pole of battery)

2. zinc (Zn) as cathode (negative pole of battery)

3. pasta as electrolyte (conductor)

Batteries use electrochemical or redox reactions to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Spontaneous redox reactions occur in galvanic cells, while chemical reactions do not occur spontaneously in electrolytic cells.

5. Digestion

Thousands of chemical reactions occur during digestion. As soon as we put food in the mouth, the enzyme in the saliva called amylase will begin to break down sugars and carbohydrates into a simpler form so our body can absorb it. The acid chloride in our stomach also reacts with food to break it down, whereas enzymes divide proteins and fats so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall.

6. Soaps and Detergents

Soaps and detergents can be cleaned by using chemical reactions. Soap emulsifies dirt, which means soap binds stain oil stains so they can be cleaned with water. The detergent acts as a surfactant, lowering the surface tension of the water so it can interact with oil, isolate them, and and clean it.