interconvert

Interconvert is a verb that denotes the act of converting something into a different form, state, or representation, and of converting back. The term is used across disciplines to describe reversible transformations, often governed by physical, chemical, or informational rules. The noun interconversion refers to the process or the relationship of being interconvertible; something that is interconvertible can be transformed into another form and returned to the original without loss (in ideal cases) or with predictable changes under specified conditions.

In chemistry, interconversion commonly describes reversible transformations between species such as isomers, tautomers, or oxidation states, e.g., a conformational change in a molecule or a redox couple cycling between forms. In materials science and physics, interconversion can refer to energy flow between forms (chemical, electrical, radiant) or between allotropes or phases under changes in temperature, pressure, or fields.

In computing and information technology, interconversion describes translating data between formats or encodings, for example, converting a file from one format to another or encoding schemes; such processes can be lossless or lossy and may be designed to be reversible.

In biology and biochemistry, interconversion describes processes where biomolecules switch between functional states or between metabolites, often regulated by enzymes or environmental conditions.

The concept emphasizes reversibility and the conditions required to perform the transformation, including catalysts, energy input, or environmental changes. Interconvertibility is a property of systems where the transformation can be reversed to restore the original form.