
Chemistry | Definition, Topics, Types, History, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 8, 2025 · Cooking, fermentation, glass making, and metallurgy are all chemical processes that date from the beginnings of civilization. Today, vinyl, Teflon, liquid crystals, …
Chemical compound | Definition, Examples, & Types | Britannica
Sep 26, 2025 · All the matter in the universe is composed of the atoms of more than 100 different chemical elements, which are found both in pure form and combined in chemical compounds.
Chemical reaction | Definition, Equations, Examples, & Types
Oct 10, 2025 · Substances are either chemical elements or compounds. A chemical reaction rearranges the constituent atoms of the reactants to create different substances as products.
Chemical element | Definition, Origins, Distribution, & Facts
Oct 17, 2025 · A chemical element is any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes. Elements are the fundamental materials of which …
Chemical formula | Definition, Types, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 1, 2025 · Chemical formula, any of several kinds of expressions of the composition or structure of chemical compounds. The forms commonly encountered are empirical, molecular, …
Chemical industry | Overview, Importance, & History | Britannica
Chemical industry, complex of processes, operations, and organizations engaged in the manufacture of chemicals and their derivatives. Raw materials include fossil fuels and …
Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements | Symbols, Atomic …
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 …
Chemical energy | Definition & Facts | Britannica
The chemical energy in food is converted by the body into mechanical energy and heat. The chemical energy in coal is converted into electrical energy at a power plant. The chemical …
Chemical symbol | Atomic Number, Element Name & Compound …
Chemical symbol, short notation derived from the scientific name of a chemical element—e.g., S for sulfur and Si for silicon. Sometimes the symbol is derived from the Latin name—e.g., Au for …
Chemical weapon - WMD, Toxins, Agents | Britannica
Chemical weapon - WMD, Toxins, Agents: Chemical weapons did not become true weapons of mass destruction (WMD) until they were introduced in their modern form in World War I …