Is a nuclear reaction, chemical reaction?
The reason why nuclear reactions are different to Chemical reactions is that both changes deal in different forces, with different orders of magnitudes. Chemical change involves rearrangement of electrons always with a chemical bond with often a change of order of kJoules per mole. This is down to the Coulombic forces. Nuclear changes have a different force operating between nuceii. Stronger and involving a much larger amount of energy. Luke Go Deeper!
According to Wikipedia, yes and no. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that strictly involve the motion of electrons in the forming and breaking of chemical bonds, although the general concept of a chemical reaction, in particular the notion of a chemical equation, is applicable to transformations of elementary particles, as well as nuclear reactions. In my view, chemical reactions must involve at least two different chemical elements reacting together, or one type of molecule changing its properties, while the atoms themselves remain the same. A nuclear reaction affects the atom’s nucleus (hence the name), which leads to transformation from one element to another.
A chemical reaction is a process that always results in the interconversion of chemical substances.[1] The substance or substances initially involved in a chemical reaction are called reactants. Chemical reactions are usually characterized by a chemical change, and they yield one or more products, which usually have properties different from the reactants. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that strictly involve the motion of electrons in the forming and breaking of chemical bonds, although the general concept of a chemical reaction, in particular the notion of a chemical equation, is applicable to transformations of elementary particles, as well as nuclear reactions. so nuclear reactions are chemical reactions!!
