A chemical process is a set of chemical or physical operations ordered to transform starting materials into different final products. A product is different from another when it has a different composition, is in a different state or its conditions have changed.
In the general description of any chemical process there are different operations involved. Some carry various chemical reactions inherent. On the other hand, other steps are merely physical, that is, without chemical reactions present. We can say that any chemical process that can be designed consists of a series of physical and chemical operations. Each of these operations is a unitary operation within the overall process.
It is possible to find chemical processes in all areas. Scientists even argue that falling in love is nothing more than a chemical process caused by endorphins like phenylethylamine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. The biological action of this class of hormones is due to the need to establish links that lead to reproduction and, therefore, to the subsistence of the species.
Summary
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- 1 Process
- 2 Chemical
- 3 Chemical elements
- 4 Physical process
- 5 Examples of chemical processes
- 6 Examples of physical processes
- 7 See also
- 8 Source
Process
It is known as a process to a cycle formed by stages that follow each other and that cause a certain change of state. The processes involve the passage of time or, sometimes, a symbolic advance.
Chemical
Chemist, it is something related to chemistry. This notion (chemistry) refers to a science dedicated to the analysis of the composition, characteristics and modifications of matter.
Chemical elements
Currently, up to 118 chemical elements are known, although not all of them are equally abundant in nature.
The element with the greatest presence in the Universe is hydrogen , which is the fuel for the stars, and second is helium.
As for the earth’s crust and atmosphere , where life is concentrated on our planet, the most abundant is oxygen, which is preferably found in the form of water, and the next is silicon, which appears mainly in the form of rocks and sand.
Other abundant elements in the earth’s crust are: aluminum , iron , calcium , sodium ,potassium , magnesium and hydrogen.
In living matter (humans and animals), after oxygen , the most abundant element is carbon (in the plant kingdom it is the most abundant ).
They are also present in living organisms: hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium (in the bones), phosphorus (in the bones, DNA and RNA), iron (in the hemoglobin), chlorine, potassium, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, iodine and zinc.
There are also other elements that are found in large quantities called trace elements, which are essential for the proper functioning of the body: copper, cobalt, fluorine, boron, manganese and molybdenum.
Physical process
Physical process is when only physical factors intervene, that there is no chemical reaction. That the resulting products are the same, as before intervening in the process. Process in which the chemical composition of any substance does not change; they are also those that are reversible, since no energy changes occur and are detected by observation or measurement.
Examples of chemical processes
-Wine production is also developed from chemical processes. The action of yeasts on the must drives the fermentation of sugars: glucose is transformed into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Then other reactions take place, such as sulphite, until the wine with the properties that reaches the tables is obtained.
-With the mixture of sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, a salt is obtained, the sodium
sufato -Combustion : If we burn a paper, it turns into ashes and, during the process, smoke is emitted. (Initially, we would have paper and oxygen, at the conclusion of the chemical change we have ash and carbon dioxide, different substances from the initial ones).
-Corrosion:If we leave a piece of iron out in the open, it rusts and loses its initial properties. (The initial substances would be iron and oxygen, the final substance is iron oxide, with properties totally different from those of the initial substances).
Examples of physical processes
-State changes : If we apply a heat source constantly, the water boils and turns into water vapor. (In both cases, the substance involved in the process is water, which in one case is liquid and in the other is gaseous; that is, its particles are arranged differently according to the kinetic theory of matter).
– Mixes: If we dissolve salt in water we will observe that the salt dissolves easily in water and the resulting solution presents a salty taste. (The initial substances – salt and water – are still present at the end; this fact is demonstrable because if we heat the solution until the water boils, we will have the salt at the bottom).
