ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Woodward's rules

Woodward's rules are like a set of rules that help us understand how things work when we mix two chemicals together. Think of it like making a recipe with different ingredients.

Rule number one is called the "like dissolves like" rule. This means that things that are similar will mix together well. If you have two chemicals that are both water-based, they will mix well together. But if you have one chemical that is water-based and the other is oil-based, they won't mix well because they are different.

Rule number two is called the "acid and base" rule. Acids and bases are chemicals with different properties. When you mix an acid and a base together, they cancel each other out and create something new. This is called a neutralization reaction. It's kind of like mixing hot sauce and sour cream together to make a spicy dip.

Rule number three is the "solubility" rule. This rule tells us whether a chemical will dissolve in water or not. Some chemicals are soluble, which means they dissolve in water, while others are not. If you have a chemical that is not soluble in water, you might need to use a different solvent (like alcohol or oil) to make it dissolve.

Overall, Woodward's rules help us understand how different chemicals interact and how we can mix them together to make new things. It's kind of like playing with different colors of paint to create a beautiful picture!