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What triggers a chemical reaction? - Kareem Jarrah

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34,733 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Chemicals are in everything we see, and the reactions between them can look like anything from rust on a spoon to an explosion on your stovetop. But why do these reactions happen in the first place? Kareem Jarrah answers this question by examining the two underlying forces that drive both endothermic and exothermic chemical reactions: enthalpy and entropy.

The chemicals you begin a reaction with are called the _____ and the chemicals you have at the end of a reaction are called the _____.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Kareem Jarrah
  • Director Darcy Vorhees
  • Animator Tom Beuerlein
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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