CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

terminal    →   terminalni

Terminal in chemistry means: the end of a polymer molecule and a point at which electron connections can easily be made or broken.

VSEPR    →   VSEPR

Valence shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR) is a model that explains the shapes of molecules by assuming that electron pairs arrange themselves around atoms in a way that minimizes electron-electron repulsions.

wavefunction    →   valna funkcija

Wavefunction (Ψ) is a mathematical function that gives the amplitude of a wave as a function of position (and sometimes as a function of time and/or electron spin). Wavefunctions are used in chemistry to represent the behaviour of electrons bound in atoms or molecules.

Geiger counter    →   Geigerov brojač

Geiger counter (Geiger-Muller counter) is a device used to detect and measure ionising radiation. It consists of a tube containing a low-pressure gas (usually argon or neon with methane) and a cylindrical hollow cathode through the centre of which runs a fine-wire anode. A potential difference of about 1 000 V is maintained between the electrodes. An ionising particle or photon passing through a window into the tube will cause an ion to be produced and the high potential will accelerate it towards its appropriate electrode, causing an avalanche of further ionisations by collision. The consequent current pulses can be counted in electronic circuits or simply amplified to work a small loudspeaker in the instrument. It was first devised in 1908 by the German physicist Hans Geiger (1882-1945). Geiger and W. Muller produced an improved design in 1928.

ionic bond    →   ionska veza

Ionic bond is a strong force of attraction holding atoms together in a molecule or crystal. Typically chemical bonds have energies of about 100 kJ mol^-1. Ionic bond is a bond at which one of the participants, during the procedure of bonding, gives away its unpaired electrons to another atom so that both can achieve electron arrangement of the closest noble gas. In order to form an ionic bond one of the atoms must cross to the positively charged ion by losing certain number of electrons and the other atom must receive those electrons and cross to the negatively charged ion.

ligand    →   ligand

Ligand is an ion (F^-, Cl^-, Br^-, I^-, S^2-, CN^-, NCS^-, OH^-, NH₂^-) or molecule (NH₃, H₂O, NO, CO) that donates a pair of electrons to a metal atom or ion in forming a coordination complex. The main way of classifying ligands is by the number of points at which they are attached to, or bound to, the metal center. This is the denticity. Ligands with one potential donor atom are monodentate. Polydentate ligand is a ligand that is attached to a central metal ion by bonds from two or more donor atoms. Ligands with more than one potential donor atom are known as ambidentate, such as the thiocyanate ion, NCS-, which can bind to the metal center with either the nitrogen or sulphur atoms. Chelating ligands are those polydentate ligands which can form a ring including the metal atom.

linear molecular geometry    →   linearna geometrija molekule

Linear molecule is a molecule in which atoms are deployed in a straight line (under 180° angle). Molecules with an linear electron pair geometries have sp hybridization at the central atom. An example of linear electron pair and molecular geometry are carbon dioxide (O=C=O) and beryllium hydride BeH₂.

microscope    →   mikroskop

Microscope is an instrument that produces enlarged images of small objects. The optical microscopes (light microscope) use visible light and a system of lenses to magnify images. Typical magnification of a light microscope is up to 1500× ("1500 times")with a theoretical resolution limit of around 200 nm. Instead of using light, electron microscopes transmit a beam of electrons through, or onto the surface of, a specimen. An electron beam has a much shorter wavelength than does light, and can reveal structures as small as 2 nm.

molecular shape    →   oblik molekule

Molecular shape is the three dimensional arrangement of atoms in space around a central atom. The molecular formula of a substance does not give an indication of its shape. For example, CO₂ is a linear molecule, but SO₂ is angular.

The three-dimensional shapes of many small molecules can be predicted by applying the valence shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR). When atoms combine to form molecules, pairs of valence electrons arrange themselves as far from each other as possible. Another way to characterize molecular shape is in terms of hybrid orbitals.

nuclear magnetic resonance    →   nuklearna magnetska rezonancija

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a type of radio-frequency spectroscopy based on the magnetic field generated by the spinning of electrically charged atomic nuclei. This nuclear magnetic field is caused to interact with a very large (1 T - 5 T) magnetic field of the instrument magnet. NMR techniques have been applied to studies of electron densities and chemical bonding and have become a fundamental research tool for structure determinations in organic chemistry.