Chemical decomposition

Sometimes things break down into their smaller parts because they've been exposed to different conditions or because they're older. When we talk about this happening with chemicals, we call it chemical decomposition. It's kind of like when you take apart a puzzle and turn it back into individual pieces.

Chemicals can decompose in different ways. For example, sometimes the chemical might lose some of its parts to become something else entirely. This is kind of like when you take a toy apart and use some of the pieces to make a different toy. Other times, the chemical might break down into two smaller pieces or even into just one piece. This is like when you pop a balloon and it turns into small pieces of rubber or when you take a big block and turn it into many small blocks.

Chemical decomposition can happen in many different situations. Sometimes you might see it happen when chemicals are exposed to heat, light, or air. Other times it might happen because two chemicals are mixed together and interact with each other. Just like how you might mix two different paint colors together to make a new color, chemicals can interact in different ways to create new chemicals.

Overall, chemical decomposition is how we describe when chemicals break down into smaller parts, sometimes creating entirely new chemicals.