What determines the reactivity of certain elements in the presence of certain compounds? The answer lies in certain characteristics of elements.

From campfires to the rusting of your dad’s favorite toolbox, chemical reactions are everywhere. One wonders – what is happening in there? The same question has haunted many of the legends in the fields of chemistry. Only after their discovery of how atoms are structured and interact with each other can we understand how chemical reactions occur. So, let’s start with that!

Atomic theory started with Dalton. His main revolutionary point was that matter is composed of tiny indivisible particles called atoms; however, Dalton only touched the surface. He failed to dive further and explore what resides inside of the atom.