Final answer:
Dry-chemical agents are categorized based on their mechanism of action, target organism, chemical structure, or physical state.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dry-chemical agents are typically categorized based on their mechanism of action, physical state, or chemical structure. For instance, chemical warfare agents are divided into categories like nerve agents or blister agents based on how they affect the human body.
In the context of pesticides, they are often grouped by their target organism (e.g., herbicides, insecticides) or by their chemical families such as organochlorines, organophosphates, and carbamates. Chemotherapy drugs, often used for treating cancer, fall into different categories according to their chemical structures and modes of action. Lastly, detergents can be classified by the electrical charge of their surfactants into anionic, non-ionic, cationic, and zwitterionic categories. Examples include nerve agents in chemical warfare, organophosphates in pesticides, and anionic in detergents.