Substitution Reaction Definition

by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated March 06, 2017

Definition: A substitution reaction is a type of chemical reaction where an atom or functional group of a molecule is replaced by another atom or functional group.

Examples: CH3Cl reacted with a hydroxy ion (OH-) will produce CH3OH and chlorine. This substitution reaction replaces the chlorine atom on the original molecule with the hydroxy ion.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Substitution Reaction Definition." ThoughtCo, Jun. 23, 2014, thoughtco.com/definition-of-substitution-reaction-605702. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2014, June 23). Substitution Reaction Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-substitution-reaction-605702 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Substitution Reaction Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-substitution-reaction-605702 (accessed April 20, 2018).