Product (chemistry)

In chemistry, the products are the final result of a chemical reaction. The reaction changes reactants into products. In more complex processes in the chemical industry, "product" usually means the main chemical that people want to make, while other products are called byproducts.

For example, glucose and oxygen are the products of photosynthesis:

6 H₂O + 6 CO₂ → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂

The reactants are water and carbon dioxide. Generally, plants release the oxygen and use the glucose, so oxygen is a byproduct.