Final answer:
A nonspontaneous reaction is one that does not favor the formation of products at the given conditions. This can be due to the reaction being endothermic, accompanied by a decrease in entropy, or both. The speed at which a reaction occurs does not determine if it's spontaneous or nonspontaneous.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nonspontaneous reaction is a reaction that does not favor the formation of products at the given set of conditions. In order for a reaction to be nonspontaneous, one or both of the driving forces must favor the reactants over the products.
In other words, the reaction is endothermic, is accompanied by a decrease in entropy, or both.
For example, the combustion of a piece of paper is a spontaneous reaction because it releases energy and moves to a more stable state.
On the other hand, the reverse reaction of converting the combustion products back into paper would be a nonspontaneous reaction because it would require energy input to occur.
It's important to note that the speed at which a reaction occurs does not determine if it is spontaneous or nonspontaneous. A reaction can be spontaneous even if it happens slowly.