kokonaisreaktion

Kokonaisreaktion is a term used in Finnish chemistry to denote the overall reaction, the complete stoichiometric equation that summarizes how reactants are converted into products in a given process. It represents the net result of a sequence of steps in a reaction mechanism, expressed as a single balanced equation.

In practice, the kokonaisreaktion is obtained by combining the individual elementary steps that describe how the reaction proceeds and then canceling intermediates that appear on both sides of the sum. The result shows only the species that enter and leave the reaction as written, and it serves as the basis for stoichiometric calculations such as yield, limiting reagents, and required amounts of reactants. The term is closely related to the English concept of the overall reaction or the complete chemical equation. It is distinct from the reaction mechanism, which details the step-by-step sequence of elementary reactions, and from net ionic equations, which may remove spectator ions to focus on the species that actually participate in the chemical change.

Examples of kokonaisreaktion include the neutralization of a strong acid and base: HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O, and the combustion of methane: CH4 + 2 O2 → CO2 + 2 H2O. In redox chemistry, the overall reaction can be obtained by combining the oxidation and reduction half-reactions to yield a single equation that reflects the net transfer of electrons.

Kokonaisreaktion is a foundational concept in chemical stoichiometry, used to predict products, analyze reaction balance, and plan experimental quantities. Limitations arise when reaction conditions favor alternative pathways or when multiple possible overall outcomes exist due to different mechanistic routes.