What triggers a chemical reaction? - Kareem Jarrah
904,560 Views
34,582 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
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.
Imagine a chemist is in the lab and trying to make some chemical reactions happen. In one reaction she reacts chemicals in an exothermic reaction and there is an increase in entropy. A second chemical reaction she is trying to run is endothermic and there is a decrease in entropy. Which of the two reactions is more likely to occur and why?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Kareem Jarrah
- Director Darcy Vorhees
- Animator Tom Beuerlein
- Script Editor Emma Bryce
- Narrator Addison Anderson
