Derivative (chemistry)

A derivative in chemistry is like a new toy you make from a toy you already have. Let's say you have a toy car, and you want to make a new toy that looks a little different. You take the car apart and use some of its parts to create a new toy, like a toy airplane.

In chemistry, scientists can make new substances by taking apart existing substances and using some of their parts to create a new substance. The original substance is called the "parent compound," and the new substance is called the "derivative."

Derivatives can have different properties than their parent compounds. For example, if you took apart a toy car made of plastic and used some of its parts to make a toy airplane, the new toy might be lighter and more aerodynamic than the original toy car.

Similarly, in chemistry, a derivative of a compound might have different chemical properties than the original compound. For example, scientists can make painkillers by creating derivatives of naturally occurring substances like morphine.

Overall, a derivative is like a new toy made from parts of an old toy, and in chemistry, it's a new substance made from parts of an existing substance.