Mass action (physics)

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Mass action in science is the idea that a large number of small units (especially atoms or molecules) acting randomly by themselves can in fact have a larger pattern. For example, consider a cloud of gas is moving in a given direction. Individual molecules will move in a semi-random walk, but if taken as a whole, they have direction.

However, this use of the term "mass action" is extremely rare and would not be understood among working scientists. The proper term for such phenomena is "collective behavior" or artificial chemistry.