CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

base-centered orthorhombic lattice    →   bazno centrirana ortorompska rešetka

Base-centered or side-centered or end-centered monoclinic lattice (orthorhombic-C), like all lattices, has lattice points at the eight corners of the unit cell plus additional points at the centers of two parallel sides of the unit cell. It has unit cell vectors a≠b≠c and interaxial angles α=β=γ=90°.

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).

alkaloid    →   alkaloid

Alkaloids are basic nitrogen organic compounds (mostly heterocyclic) derived from plants and having diverse pharmacological properties. Alkaloids include morphine, cocaine, atropine, quinine, and caffeine, most of which are used in medicine as analgesics or anaesthetics. Some alkaloids are poisonous, e.g. strychnine and coniine, and colchicine inhibit cell division.

ampholyte    →   amfolit

Ampholyte is a substance than can act as either an acid, in the presence of a strong base, or a base, when in the presence of a strong acid.

anion exchange    →   anionski izmjenjivač

An anionic resin has negative ions built into its structure and therefore exchanges positive ions. In an anion exchange, the side groups are ionised basic groups, such as (-NH₂, -NRH, -NR₂, -NR₃⁺) to which anions OH^- are attached. The exchange reaction is one in which different anions in the solution displace the OH^- from the solid.

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.

aluminate    →   aluminat

Aluminate is a salt formed when aluminium hydroxide or y-alumina is dissolved in solutions of strong bases, such as sodium hydroxide. Aluminates exist in solutions containing the aluminate ion, commonly written [Al(OH)₄]^-. In fact the ion probably is a complex hydrated ion and can be regarded as formed from a hydrated Al³⁺ ion by removal of four hydrogen ions:

Other aluminates and polyaluminates, such as [Al(OH)₆]^3- and [(HO)₃AlOAl(OH)₃]^2-, are also present.

amphoteric substances    →   amfoterna tvar

Amphoteric substances can behave as acids or as bases depending upon their surroundings. So aluminium hydroxide in reaction with acids will behave as a base

and in reaction with bases it will act as an acid

Bravais lattice    →   Bravaisova rešetka

Bravais lattice is a set of points constructed by translating a single point in discrete steps by a set of basis vectors. The French crystallographer Auguste Bravais (1811-1863) established that in three-dimensional space only fourteen different lattices may be constructed. All crystalline materials recognised till now fit in one of these arrangements. The fourteen three-dimensional lattices, classified by crystal system, are shown to the bottom.

Crystal system	Bravais lattices
cubic a=b=c α=β=γ=90°
	simple cubic	body-centered cubic	face-centered cubic
tetragonal a=b≠c α=β=γ=90°
	simple tetragonal	body-centered tetragonal
orthorhombic a≠b≠c α=β=γ=90°
	simple orthorhombic	base-centered orthorhombic	body-centered orthorhombic	face-centered orthorhombic
monoclinic a≠b≠c α=γ=90°≠β
	simple monoclinic	base-centered monoclinic
hexagonal a=b≠c α=β=90° γ=120°
	hexagonal
rhombohedral a=b=c α=β=γ≠90°
	rhombohedral
triclinic a≠b≠c α≠β≠γ≠90°
	triclinic

buffer    →   pufer otopina

Buffer is a solution designed to maintain a constant pH when small amounts of a strong acid or base are added. Buffers usually consist of a fairly weak acid and its salt with a strong base. Suitable concentrations are chosen so that the pH of the solution remains close to the pK_a of the weak acid.