Which statement about chemical incompatibility is correct?

Which statement about chemical incompatibility is correct?

• A. The activity of all components always increases.
• B. The mixture becomes safer to handle.
• C. The activity of one or more products might be reduced or destroyed.
• D. No chemical reaction occurs.

Answer: (C)

Chemical incompatibility means that when two products are mixed, they can interact in a way that degrades one or both of them or forms a new substance. The best description is that the activity of one or more products might be reduced or destroyed because loss of potency is a common outcome of incompatibility. Incompatibility can also make the mixture more hazardous, not safer, and it does not guarantee that no reaction occurs—reactions can happen under some conditions. So the key idea is the potential reduction or destruction of activity due to adverse interactions.

Chemical incompatibility means that when two products are mixed, they can interact in a way that degrades one or both of them or forms a new substance. The best description is that the activity of one or more products might be reduced or destroyed because loss of potency is a common outcome of incompatibility. Incompatibility can also make the mixture more hazardous, not safer, and it does not guarantee that no reaction occurs—reactions can happen under some conditions. So the key idea is the potential reduction or destruction of activity due to adverse interactions.