Reactants

Definition

Reactants are substances that start a chemical reaction. They interact with each other to form new substances called products.

Related terms

Products:

These are the end result of a chemical reaction; using our analogy, this would be the delicious cake you get after baking your ingredients.

Catalyst:

A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed itself. It's like adding baking powder to your cake mix - it helps everything rise faster!

Chemical Equation:

This represents a chemical reaction where reactants are shown on the left side and products on the right; think of it as your recipe card for making that cake!