chemical action
- noun
- Specialized
:
acción química
- The chemical action of vinegar and baking soda produces a significant amount of carbon dioxide gas.
Examples
-
The chemical action of these drugs and the cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects are discussed.
Academic text (1997) -
In the laboratory, students observed the chemical action between the acid and the base, which generated bubbles.
-
The chemical action that occurs during rusting is caused by the reaction between iron and oxygen in the presence of moisture.
Synonyms
123
3.0
A process where substances change and form new substances
24
3.1
A change where substances turn into different substances
4
3.5
A process that changes the tiny particles that make a substance
1
3.7
A process that turns one substance into a different one by changing its atoms or molecules
A change where substances become new substances when they react together
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'chemical' (relating to chemistry) modifying 'action' (a process or effect), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a process/effect caused by chemicals. This adjective+noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, though the phrase is somewhat technical in register.
Etymology
The noun chemical action gives a simple image of tiny particles doing an action: they meet and change into new substances. So the phrase means a 'process' where materials change into something new.