Reactive

Reactive refers to a characteristic of systems or elements that respond to changes in their environment or input. This term is widely used in various fields such as Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, and Psychology.

Chemistry

In Chemistry, reactive is used to describe a substance that readily undergoes a chemical reaction. Highly reactive substances, such as oxygen or fluorine, readily engage in reactions to form new compounds. The reactivity of a substance is influenced by factors such as its electron configuration, position in the periodic table, and environmental conditions.

Physics

In Physics, the term reactive is often used in the context of reactive power in electrical systems. Reactive power is the portion of electricity that oscillates back and forth on the power line, not resulting in useful work. It is measured in reactive volt-amperes (VAR) and is associated with the reactance of an electrical circuit.

Computer Science

In Computer Science, reactive programming is a programming paradigm oriented around data flows and the propagation of change. This means that it should be possible to express static or dynamic data flows with ease in the programming languages used, and that the underlying execution model will automatically propagate changes through the data flow. Reactive programming models are designed to handle asynchronous events and data streams, making them highly useful in modern software development.

Psychology

In Psychology, reactive refers to behaviors that are responses to specific stimuli. For example, reactive attachment disorder is a condition in which an infant or young child does not form a secure, healthy emotional bond with his or her primary caretakers. Reactive behaviors can also refer to actions taken in response to immediate stimuli, as opposed to proactive behaviors which are planned and executed to achieve a future goal.