There are a lot more types of chemical reaction , but dealing with all of them is not so feasible. Many chemical reactions can be classified as one of five basic types. Having a thorough understanding of these types of reactions will be useful for predicting the products and giving a proper base to understand the core and advanced concepts. The five basic types of chemical reactions are combination, decomposition, single-replacement, double-replacement, and combustion. Analyzing the reactants and products of a given reaction will allow you to place it into one of these categories. Some reactions will fit into more than one category.

A combination reaction, also known as a synthesis reaction, is a reaction in which two or more substances combine to form a single new substance. Combination reactions can also be called synthesis reactions .The general form of a combination reaction is:

A+B=AB

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A decomposition reaction is a reaction in which a compound breaks down into two or more simpler substances. The general form of a decomposition reaction is:

AB=A+B

A single-replacement reaction is a reaction in which one element replaces a similar element in a compound. The general form of a single-replacement (also called single-displacement) reaction is:

A+BC=AC+B

A double-replacement reaction is a reaction in which the positive and negative ions of two ionic compounds exchange places to form two new compounds. The general form of a double-replacement (also called double-displacement) reaction is:

AB+CD=AD+BC

A <strong style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>combustion reaction<em style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”> is a reaction in which a substance reacts with oxygen gas, releasing energy in the form of light and heat. Combustion reactions must involve <nobr aria-hidden=”true” style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>O2</nobr> as one reactant. The combustion of hydrogen gas produces water vapor.

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