CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

acid    →   kiselina

Acid is a type of compound that contains hydrogen and dissociates in water to produce positive hydrogen ions. The reaction for an acid HA is commonly written:

In fact, the hydrogen ion (the proton) is solvated, and the complete reaction is:

This definition of acids comes from the Arrhenius theory. Such acids tend to be corrosive substances with a sharp taste, which turn litmus red and produce colour changes with other indicators. They are referred to as protonic acids and are classified into strong acids, which are almost completely dissociated in water, (e.g. sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid), and weak acids, which are only partially dissociated (e.g. acetic acid and hydrogen sulphide). The strength of an acid depends on the extent to which it dissociates, and is measured by its dissociation constant.

In the Lowry-Brønsted theory of acids and bases (1923), the definition was extended to one in which an acid is a proton donor (a Brønsted acid), and a base is a proton acceptor (a Brønsted base). An important feature of the Lowry-Brønsted concept is that when an acid gives up a proton, a conjugate base is formed that is capable of accepting a proton.

Similarly, every base produces its conjugate acid as a result of accepting a proton.

For example, acetate ion is the conjugate base of acetic acid, and ammonium ion is the conjugate acid of ammonia.

As the acid of a conjugate acid/base pair becomes weaker, its conjugate base becomes stronger and vice versa.

A further extension of the idea of acids and bases was made in the Lewis theory. In this, a G. N. Lewis acid is a compound or atom that can accept a pair of electrons and a Lewis base is one that can donate an electron pair. This definition encompasses "traditional" acid-base reactions, but it also includes reactions that do not involve ions, e.g.

in which NH₃ is the base (donor) and BCl₃ the acid (acceptor).

alicyclic    →   aliciklički spojevi

Alicyclic compounds are aliphatic compounds with a ring of atoms. They have C_nH_2n general formula (e.g. cyclohexane C₆H₁₂).

allomerism    →   alomerija

Allomerism is the appearance of substances with different chemical composition but the same crystalline form.

allomorphism    →   alomorfija

Allomorphism is the existence of chemical substances with same chemical composition in two or more crystalline forms. See Polymorphism.

alum    →   alaun

Alums are a group of isomorphic glacial double sulphates with the general formula

where M^I can be univalent cation K, Na, Rb, Cs, NH₄ or Tl, and M^III is trivalent Al, Cr, or Fe.

amide    →   amid

Amide is an organic compound that contains a carbonyl group bound to nitrogen. The simplest amides are formamide (HCONH₂) and acetamide (CH₃CONH₂).

addition reactions    →   reakcije adicije

Addition reactions are normally occur with unsaturated compounds and involve the addition of one molecule (called the reactant) across the unsaturated bond (i.e. the double bond or the triple bond) of another molecule (called the substrate) to give a single product, formed by the combination of both reacting molecules.

For example, bromine adds across the double bond of ethene in an addition reaction to form dibromoethane.

air stripping    →   zračni striping

Air stripping is a process for the removal of volatile organic contaminants from groundwater. The groundwater flows downward inside a tower filled with materials (the packing) over a large surface area. Air is introduced at the bottom of the tower and is forced upward past the falling water. The volatiles evaporate from the water and are collected in air filters or released to the atmosphere.

alanine    →   alanin

Alanine is hydrophobic amino acids with aliphatic side chain. It is the second simplest amino acid, but used the most in proteins. The nonpolar hydrophobic amino acids tend to cluster together within proteins, stabilizing protein structure by means of hydrophobic interactions. Alanine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning it can be manufactured by the human body, and does not need to be obtained directly through the diet.

• Abbreviations: Ala, A
• IUPAC name: 2-aminopropanoic acid
• Molecular formula: C₃H₇NO₂
• Molecular weight: 89.09 g/mol

alkali metal    →   alkalijski metal

Alkali metal is a term that refers to six elements: lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), caesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). These elements make up group 1 of the periodic table of elements. They all form singly charged positive ions, and are extremely reactive. They react violently with water, forming hydroxides and releasing hydrogen gas and heat. Caesium and francium are the most reactive and lithium is the least.