
Chemistry | Definition, Topics, Types, History, & Facts | Britannica
Feb 3, 2026 · Cooking, fermentation, glass making, and metallurgy are all chemical processes that date from the beginnings of civilization. Today, vinyl, Teflon, liquid crystals, semiconductors, and …
Chemical element | Definition, Origins, Distribution, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 9, 2026 · A chemical element is any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes. Elements are the fundamental materials of which all matter is …
Chemical reaction | Definition, Equations, Examples, & Types - Britannica
Jan 13, 2026 · Substances are either chemical elements or compounds. A chemical reaction rearranges the constituent atoms of the reactants to create different substances as products.
Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements | Symbols, Atomic Weights ...
The rate at which chemical knowledge continues to accumulate is remarkable. Over time more than 8,000,000 different chemical substances, both natural and artificial, have been characterized and …
Chemical Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
CHEMICAL meaning: 1 : of or relating to chemistry; 2 : working by means of chemicals
Chemical element - Atomic Structure, Periodic Table, Properties ...
Jan 9, 2026 · The main problem concerned with the origin of the chemical elements is to decide to what extent the chemical composition of the stars seen today differs from the initial chemical composition …
Chemical formula | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Chemical formula, any of several kinds of expressions of the composition or structure of chemical compounds. The forms commonly encountered are empirical, molecular, structural, and projection …
Chemical synthesis | Organic & Inorganic Reactions | Britannica
Chemical compounds are made up of atoms of different elements, joined together by chemical bonds. A chemical synthesis usually involves the breaking of existing bonds and the formation of new ones.
Water | Definition, Chemical Formula, Structure, Molecule, & Facts ...
Feb 6, 2026 · This article describes the molecular structure of water as well as its physical and chemical properties. For other major treatments of water, see climate; environmental works; hydrosphere; ice; …
Sodium | Facts, Uses, & Properties | Britannica
Feb 9, 2026 · sodium (Na), chemical element of the alkali metal group (Group 1 [Ia]) of the periodic table. Sodium is a very soft silvery-white metal. Sodium is the most common alkali metal and the …