Final answer:
A chemical reaction requires reacting molecules to collide with proper orientation and sufficient energy to overcome the activation energy, leading to the transformation of reactants into products.
Step-by-step explanation:
For a chemical reaction to occur, there are a couple of vital requirements that must be met:
- The reacting molecules must collide with sufficient frequency, as more frequent collisions generally lead to a faster reaction.
- At the time of collision, the molecules must have an orientation that allows contact between the atoms that will bond together in the products.
- The colliding molecules must possess an amount of energy equal to or greater than the activation energy required for the reaction.
When these conditions are met, a chemical reaction can proceed, transforming the reactants into the products. An example of a simple chemical reaction is the formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen, represented by the chemical equation: 2H + O → H₂O.