A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. Enzymes are naturally occurring catalysts responsible for many essential biochemical reactions.

Catalysts

Chemical change is a change in matter in which the substances that make up the matter change into new chemical substances. The physical and chemical properties of the new chemical substances that formed are entirely different. The signs that indicate the formation of a new type of matter include the formation of bubbles or a change in energy, color or odor.

Explore the fascinating world of chemical changes as we dive into its realm in this simulation!

Chemical Changes

Matter and Change

Dalton's Atomic Theory

The matter around us is of two types, pure substances and mixtures. Pure substances have the same composition throughout. They can be classified as elements or compounds. A mixture consists of two or more elements or compounds not chemically combined together.
The properties of a compound are different from the properties of each of the elements that make up the compound. In mixtures, all of the substances that make up the mixture retain their original properties.

Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

A chemical equation is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction. A chemical equation must be balanced according to the Law of Conservation of Mass. In order to balance a chemical equation, the molecular formulas in the equation cannot be altered. A coefficient specifies how many of each molecule are required for a balanced equation.

How to Balance Chemical Equations

At times, it is required to prevent certain chemical reactions from occurring. In such cases inhibitors are used to slow down or even stop a chemical reaction. Inhibitors are used in food industry to slow down or inhibit food spoilage.

Explore the captivating world of inhibitors, where we'll unlock the secrets of slowing down reactions and discover how these powerful substances influence chemical processes in this intriguing simulation!

Inhibitors

Biochemistry

When two atoms with unequal electronegativities form a covalent bond, the electrons contributed to the resulting molecule are shared unequally between them. This creates an uneven distribution of partial charges across the molecule, which is defined as molecular polarity. This simulation shows this concept in action. You will learn about dipoles, partial charges, electrostatic potential, electron density through experimenting with different variables and seeing their effects on a molecule.

Molecular Polarity (1)

The VSEPR theory, standing for valence-shell electron pair repulsion, is a model used to predict the 3D geometry of a molecule based on the number of electron pairs present in its valence shell. Play around with this simulation to learn more about the different geometries projected by the VESPR model and see how well the structures of real molecules line up with its predictions!

Molecule Shapes

The rate of a chemical reaction is the speed at which it occurs. Different reactions happen at different rates. According to collision theory, collisions between reactant molecules having sufficient energy lead to product formation. An increase in the speed of collisions increases the collision frequency, and as a result, the rate of the reaction increases.