CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

carbon    →   ugljik

Carbon has been known since ancient times. The origin of the name comes from the Latin word carbo meaning charcoal. Graphite form of carbon is a black, odourless, slippery solid. Graphite sublimes at 3825 °C. Diamond form is a clear or colored; an extremely hard solid. C60 is Buckminsterfullerine. Carbon black burns readily with oxidants. Carbon is made by burning organic compounds with insufficient oxygen. There are close to ten million known carbon compounds, many thousands of which are vital to organic and life processes. Radiocarbon dating uses the carbon-14 isotope to date old objects.

dynamic equilibrium    →   dinamička ravnoteža

Dynamic equilibrium is established when two opposing processes are occurring at precisely the same rate, so that there is no apparent change in the system over long periods of time.

electrical current    →   električna struja

Electrical current is a flow of electric charges. The SI unit of electric current is the ampere (A).

electromagnetic wave    →   elektromagnetski val

All matter absorbs and emits radiation covering a broad band of frequencies and wavelengths. Thus electromagnetic radiation has the velocity of light (2.998×10⁸ ms^-1) and arises from the vibrating electric charges in atoms and bonds. The range of wavelengths, also known as the electromagnetic spectrum, is shown below:

carboxylic acids    →   karboksilne kiseline

Carboxylic acids are organic compounds characterized by the presence of one or more RC(=O)OH groups (the carboxyl group). In the systematic chemical nomenclature carboxylic acids names end in the suffix -oic (e.g. ethanoic acids, CH₃COOH). The carbon of the terminal group being counted as part of the chain. They are generally weak acids. Carboxylic acids include a large and important class of fatty acids and may be either saturated or unsaturated. There are also some natural aromatic carboxylic acids (benzoic, salicylic).

catalyst    →   katalizator

Catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. Catalysts that have the same phase as the reactants are homogenous catalysts (e.g. enzymes in biochemical reactions). Those that have a different phase are heterogeneous catalyst (e.g. metals or oxides used in gas reactions).

The catalyst provides an alternative pathway by which the reaction can proceed, in which the activation energy is lower. In thus increases the rate at which the reaction comes to an equilibrium, although it does not alter the position of the equilibrium.

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.

cathode ray    →   katodna zraka

Cathode ray is a negatively charged beam that emanates from the cathode of a discharge tube. Cathode rays are streams of electrons.

electrostatics    →   elektrostatika

Electrostatics study of electric charges at rest.

eutectic    →   eutektik

Eutectic is a solid solution consisting of two or more substances and having the lowest freezing point of any possible mixture of these components.

Eutectic point is the lowest temperature at which the eutectic mixture can exist in a liquid phase. A liquid having the eutectic composition will freeze at a single temperature without a change of composition.