CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

bomb calorimeter    →   kalorimetrijska bomba

Bomb calorimeter is a type of constant-volume calorimeter used in measuring the heat of combustion of samples which can be burned in oxygen. Four essential parts are required in any bomb calorimeter:

1. a bomb or vessel in which the combustible charges can be burned,
2. a bucket or container for holding the bomb in a measured quantity of water, together with a stirring mechanism,
3. an insulating jacket to protect the bucket from transient thermal stresses during the combustion process, and
4. a thermometer or other sensor for measuring temperature changes within the bucket.

accelerator    →   akcelerator

Accelerator is a device (machine) used for acceleration of charged particles (protons, deuterons, α-particles). Particles are accelerated under the influence of an electric field and with the help of a magnetic field are kept inside a certain space. When the particles reach enough acceleration (that is sufficient energy), they are directed on a target we wish to bomb. Best known types cyclotron, synchrotron, betatron.

Accelerator is a substance that increases the rate of chemical reaction, i.e. a catalyst.

americium    →   americij

Americium was discovered by Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James, Stanley G. Thompson and Albert Ghiorso (USA) in 1944. Named for the American continent. It is silvery-white, artificially produced radioactive metal. Americium was produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons. Americium-241 is currently used in smoke detectors.

artificial radioactive isotope    →   umjetni radioaktivni izotop

Artificial radioactive isotopes are formed when an atom is bombed with an accelerator or exposing it to slow moving neutrons in a nuclear reactor. In this way isotopes (radionuclides) are obtained which are non-existent in nature because of their unstability and radioactive transition into stable isotopes. Most important radioactive isotopes are:

Radioactive isotope of cobalt is formed when ordinary metal cobalt is bombed with neutrons in a nuclear reactor.

Radioactive isotope of phosphorus is formed when ordinary phosphorus is bombed with deuterons produced in cyclotron.

radioactive isotope of carbon is formed when a nitrogen is bombed with slow moving neutrons in a nuclear reactor. It is mostly used as a radioactive indicator.

berkelium    →   berkelij

Berkelium was discovered by Stanley G. Thompson, Albert Ghiorso and Glenn T. Seaborg (USA) in 1949. Named after Berkeley, a city in California, home of the University of California, USA. It is synthetic radioactive metal. Berkelium was made by bombarding americium with alpha particles.

bohrium    →   bohrij

Bohrium was discovered by Peter Armbruster, Gottfried Münzenber and their co-workers at the Heavy Ion Research Laboratory (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung, GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany in 1981. Named in honour of Niels Bohr, the Danish physicist. It is synthetic radioactive metal. Bohrium was produced by bombarding bismuth-204 with chromium-54.

californium    →   kalifornij

Californium was discovered by Stanley G. Thompson, Kenneth Street Jr. and Albert Ghiorso (USA) in 1950. Named after the State and University of California, USA. It is synthetic radioactive metal. Powerful neutron emitter. Californium was made by bombarding curium with helium ions.

astatine    →   astat

Astatine was discovered by Emilio Gino Segrè, Dale R. Corson and K. R. MacKenzie (USA) in 1940. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word astatos meaning unstable. It is unstable, radioactive member of the halogen group. Astatine does not occur in nature. Similar to iodine. Produced by bombarding bismuth with alpha particles. Since its isotopes have such short half-lives there are no commercially significant compounds of astatine.

calorimeter    →   kalorimetar

Calorimeter is an instrument used to measure the energy absorbed or released in a chemical reaction. It also used in determining specific heat.

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.