CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

carbine    →   karbin

Carbine is a triatomic modification of carbon non-existent in nature on Earth, found in outer space and comets

chemical kinetics    →   kemijska kinetika

Chemical kinetics is an area of chemistry that studies rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions.

cosmic rays    →   kozmičke zrake

Cosmic rays are high energy (10¹⁵ eV- 10¹⁷ eV) nuclear particles, electrons, and photons, originating mostly outside the solar system, which continually bombard the Earth’s atmosphere.

argon    →   argon

Argon was discovered by Lord Raleigh and Sir William Ramsay (Scotland) in 1894. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word argos meaning inactive. It is colourless and odourless noble gas. Chemically inert. It is the third most abundant element in the earth’s atmosphere and makes up about 1 %. Argon is continuously released into the air by decay of radioactive potassium-40. Pure form is obtained from fractional distillation of liquid air. Used in lighting products. It is often used in filling incandescent light bulbs. Some is mixed with krypton in fluorescent lamps. Crystals in the semiconductor industry are grown in argon atmospheres.

atmosphere    →   atmosfera

1. Atmosphere is the column of air which is extending several hundred kilometers above the surface the Earth's surface. The density of this air decreases as you proceed up from the surface. The air in the atmosphere consists of 78 % nitrogen, 21 % oxygen, and 0.9 % argon. The remaining 0.1 % of the atmosphere consists of ozone, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, helium, and neon. The atmosphere is divided into different regions. The lowest two layers are the troposphere (the layer closest to the earth) and the stratosphere respectively. These two layers contain more than 99 % of the atmospheric molecules.

2. Standard atmosphere (atm) is an obsolete pressure and stress unit which should be discontinued. It is unit of pressure equal to the air pressure measured at mean sea level.

1 atm = 101 325 Pa

Technical atmosphere (at) is an obsolete MKpS pressure and sttress derived unit.

1 at = 98 066.5 Pa

1 atm = 1.033 227 453 at

cerium    →   cerij

Cerium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth (Germany) and by Jöns Jacob Berzelius (Sweden) in 1803 and Wilhelm von Hisinger (Germany) in 1814. Named after the asteroid Ceres this discovered two years before the element. It is malleable, ductile, iron-grey metal. Tarnishes in air; reacts easily with water. Dissolves in acids; ignites when heated. Metal ignites and burns readily. Strong reductant. Cerium is most abundant rare earth metal. Found in many minerals like monazite sand [Ce(PO₄)]. Its oxides are used in the optics and glass-making industries. Its salts are used in the photography and textile industry. Used in high-intensity carbon lamps and as alloying agents in special metals.

crystallography    →   kristalografija

Crystallography is a science that studies structure, shapes, crystalline properties and laws of their creation.

Dalton, John    →   Dalton, John

Dalton, John (1766-1844) British chemist and physicist. In 1801 he formulated his law of partial pressures (Dalton’s law), but he is best remembered for Dalton’s atomic theory, which he announced in 1803. Dalton also studied colour blindness (a condition, once called Daltonism, that he shared with his brother).

ecology    →   ekologija

Ecology is a science that studies human relation towards the surroundings.

erosion    →   erozija

Erosion is a process by which the surface of the earth is constantly being worn away by wind action, fluvial processes, marine processes, and glacial processes.