Chemical decomposition
From Freepedia
Chemical decomposition or analysis is the fragmentation of a chemical compound into elements or smaller compounds.
A generalized reaction formula is: AB → A + B.
An example of analysis is the electrolysis of water
- 2H2O → 2H2 + O2.
With analysis and chemical synthesis equations alone it is possible to describe all types of chemical reactions.
Chemical decomposition is often an undesired chemical reaction. The stability that a chemical compound ordinarily has is eventually limited when exposed to extreme environmental conditions like for instance heat, radiation, humidity or the acidity of a medium. The detailed decomposition process is generally not well defined and a molecule breaks up into a host of smaller fragments.
Chemical decomposition is exploited in several analytical techniques notably mass spectrometry, traditional gravimetric analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis.
