Common Chemical Reactions in Everyday Life

There are many different numbers of chemical reactions in our day to day life that
we notice. We often tend to see a flaky brown coloured layer that appears on the
surface of several iron items, for example, the bodies of vehicles, gates, etc.
During the festivities and celebrations of Diwali, we burn crackers which when
burned, gives a bright light and sound. The bright light is a result of the burning of
the components like magnesium that is used amongst one of the ingredients of
the crackers and sparklers that we burn. In this article, we will study about these
chemical processes in everyday life that we see around us.

Types of Chemical Reaction in Daily Life

1. Photosynthesis: 
The process of photosynthesis refers to the process by which the autotrophs
tend to manufacture their food. It is one of the natural chemical reactions in
everyday life. In the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight, the plants produce
glucose in the form of energy from water and carbon dioxide from the
environment.
6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆(aq) + 6O₂ (g)
ImagewillbeUploadedSoon

2. Rusting: 
The process of the oxidation, which refers to the reaction in the presence of
oxygen, gives a brown flaky layer that we often notice over the metal surfaces
like the one on the iron. This layer is formed because of the oxidation of the
topmost layer for forming the metal oxide. We know this and call it rust. Similarly,
several layers get formed on other metals as well, for example, in silver in which
a green coloured layer gets formed when it undergoes an oxidation reaction.
Fe + 3O₂ + xH₂O → Fe₃O₄ . xH₂O
ImagewillbeUploadedSoon
3. Cellular Respiration:
The process of respiration in humans in their lungs also involves a chemical
reaction. In this reaction, the glucose molecules tend to undergo an oxidation
reaction and produces water and carbon dioxide along with energy. This process
happens at a cellular level and hence, is called cellular respiration.
C₆H₁₂O₆ (aq) + 6O₂ (g) → 6CO₂ (g) + 6H₂O(l) + energy

4. Anaerobic Respiration: 
When a living organism tend to undergo the process of fermentation, the
components present in it which contain starch or sugar get converted to alcohol,
acids and gases.
C₆H₁₂O₆ → 2C₂H₅OH + 2CO₂

5. Combustion: 
The process of combustion is amongst the chemical changes in everyday life. It
tends to involve the oxidation reaction of a material when it is exposed in the
presence of both heat and oxygen from the surroundings to produce smoke, ash,
and several other gases.
C + O₂ → CO₂
ImagewillbeUploadedSoon

6. Acid-base Reactions: 
The acid-base reactions are also a part of the chemical reactions in our daily life.
In these reactions, the weaker acids that are produced inside our mouth
overnight because of the sugary foods and bacteria get neutralized in the
presence of base that is present in the toothpaste that we use in the morning
every day.
Acid + base → salt + water
In a similar manner, the oxide layer that is found on the metallic artefacts gets
removed with the help of the weaker acids like vinegar. This process helps to
give us the layer of the metal clean and a fresh new layer of the metal gets
exposed.
CH₃COOH + FeO → CH₃COOFe + H₂O
The first step to recognizing chemical reactions in the world around you is to
identify when a reaction is taking place. Chemical reactions cause chemical
changes. In other words, substances interact and form new products. Not
every change in matter is a chemical reaction. For example, melting ice, tearing
a sheet of paper into strips, and dissolving sugar in water are physical changes
that don’t change the chemical identity of matter.
Chemical reaction occur everywhere in the world around you, not just in the
chemistry lab