Definition of Reactants



Reactants are those substances that are present in a chemical reaction at the start and they are converted into the products at the end of it. The reactants are written on the left-hand side of the chemical equation. The concentration of the reactants is one of the factors which determines the rate and the extent of a reaction.

 


If a reaction is irreversible, the reactants are fully used up and the chemical reaction goes to completion. The irreversible reaction states that the reaction only proceeds in the forward direction. On the other hand, if the reactants are converted into the products and the products are again converted into the reactants, the reaction is termed as reversible and there is a state of chemical equilibrium between the reactants and the products.

 


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