CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

impedance    →   impedancija

Impedance is the analogue of the resistance or resistivity when applied to alternating current. That is, it is a measure of a material’s inability to carry the electrical current. In many materials the impedance varies as the frequency of the applied electrical potential changes, due to the properties of the conducting liquid or solid. In electrochemistry, the impedance of the electrodes is also frequency dependent.

irreversible galvanic cell    →   nepovrativi galvanski članak

Irreversible galvanic cell is a chemical source of direct current, in which reactions that take place on the electrodes are irreversible.

ISE    →   ISE

ISE is abbreviation for ion selective electrode.

battery    →   baterija

Battery a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. The process underlying the operation of a battery involves a chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred from one chemical species to another. This process is carried out in two half-reactions, one that involves the loss of electrons and one that involves their gain. The battery is an electrochemical cell divided in two half-cells, and reaction proceeds when these are connected together by an electrically conducting pathway. The passage of electrons from one half-cell to the other corresponds to an electric current. Each half-cell contains an electrode in contact with the reacting species. The electrode which passes electrons into the circuit when battery discharges is called anode and is negative terminal. The electrode which receives electrons is called cathode, and is the battery’s positive terminal. The electrical circuit is completed by an electrolyte, an electrically conducting substance placed between the two electrodes which carriers a flow of charge between them. In wet cells, the electrolyte is a liquid containing dissolved ions, whose motion generates an electrical current; in dry cells the electrolyte is basely solid, for example, a solid with mobile ions or porous solid saturated with an ionic solution.

MOSFET    →   MOSFET

MOSFET (metal oxide field effect transistor) is a semiconductor device which can be used as an ion selective electrode.

negative pole    →   negativan pol

Negative pole is that half-cell in electrochemical cell that has the most negative electrode potential.

neon    →   neon

Neon was discovered by Sir William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers (England) in 1898. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word neon meaning new. It is colourless, odourless inert gas. Non-reactive even with fluorine. Fourth most abundant element in the universe. Neon is obtained by liquefaction of air and separated from the other gases by fractional distillation. Primarily for lighting.

overpotential    →   prenapon

Overpotential (η) is a potential that must be applied in an electrolytic cell in addition to the theoretical potential required to liberate a given substance at an electrode. The value depends on the electrode material and on the current density.

cathode    →   katoda

Cathode is a negative electrode of an electrolytic cell to which positively charged ions (cations) migrate when a current is passed as in electroplating baths.

In a primary or secondary cell (battery or accumulator) the cathode is the electrode that spontaneously becomes negative during discharge, and form which therefore electrons emerge.

In vacuum electronic devices electrons are emitted by the cathode and flow to the anode.

Contat-Gockel’s valve    →   Contat-Gockelov ventil

Contat-Göckel’s valve is used for maintenance of inert atmosphere in a flask. The valve is filled with a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) so that the end of the tube is covered. Solution inside the valve keeps the flask contents away from the oxygen influence from air. If low pressure is created inside the flask (when the flask is cooled), the solution will penetrate inside it from funnel and in a reaction with acid CO₂ is generated which fills up the flask.

Solution from the funnel will keep penetrating until CO₂ pressure in the flask is equalised with the outer pressure.