CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

electrical double layer    →   električni dvosloj

Electrical double layer is the structure of charge accumulation and charge separation that always occurs at the interface when an electrode is immersed into an electrolyte solution. The excess charge on the electrode surface is compensated by an accumulation of excess ions of the opposite charge in the solution. The amount of charge is a function of the electrode potential. This structure behaves essentially as a capacitor. There are several theoretical models that describe the structure of the double layer. The three most commonly used ones are the Helmholtz model, the Gouy-Chapman model, and the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model.

electrochemical cell    →   elektrokemijski članak

Electrochemical cell is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy or vice versa when a chemical reaction is occurring in the cell. It consist of two electronically conducting phases (e.g., solid or liquid metals, semiconductors, etc) connected by an ionically conducting phase (e.g. aqueous or non-aqueous solution, molten salt, ionically conducting solid). As an electric current passes, it must change from electronic current to ionic current and back to electronic current. These changes of conduction mode are always accompanied by oxidation/reduction reactions.

An essential feature of the electrochemical cell is that the simultaneously occurring oxidation-reduction reactions are spatially separated. E.g., in a spontaneous chemical reaction during the oxidation of hydrogen by oxygen to water, electrons are passed directly from the hydrogen to the oxygen.

In contrast, in the spontaneous electrochemical reaction in a galvanic cell the hydrogen is oxidised at the anode by transferring electrons to the anode and the oxygen is reduced at the cathode by accepting electrons from the cathode. The ions produced in the electrode reactions, in this case positive hydrogen ions and the negative hydroxyl (OH^-) ions, will recombine in the solution to form the final product of the reaction: water. During this process the electrons are conducted from the anode to the cathode through an outside electric circuit where the electric current can drive a motor, light a light bulb, etc. The reaction can also be reversed: water can be decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen by the application of electrical power in an electrolytic cell.

law of definite composition    →   zakon o određenom sastavu

Law of definite composition states that the elements in a given compound are always combined in the same proportion by mass. This law form the basis for the definition of a chemical compound.

Lewis acid    →   Lewisova kiselina

Lewis acid is an agent capable of accepting a pair of electrons to form a coordinate bond.

Lewis base    →   Lewisova baza

Lewis base is an agent capable of donating a pair of electrons to form a coordinate bond.

electrode of the first kind    →   elektroda prvog reda

Electrode of the first kind is a simple metal electrode immersed in a solution containing its own ion (e.g., silver immersed in a silver nitrate solution). The equilibrium potential of this electrode is a function of the concentration (more correctly of activity) of the cation of the electrode metal in the solution (see Nernst’s electrode potential equation).

electrode of the second kind    →   elektroda drugog reda

Electrodes of the second kind are metal electrodes assembly with the equilibrium potential being a function of the concentration of an anion in the solution. Typical examples are the silver/silver-chloride electrode and the calomel electrode. The potential of the metal is controlled by the concentration of its cation in the solution, but this, in turn, is controlled by the anion concentration in the solution through the solubility product of the slightly soluble metal salt. Contrast with electrode of the first kind and electrode of the third kind.

electrode of the third kind    →   elektroda trećeg reda

Electrode of the third kind is a metal electrode assembly with the equilibrium potential being a function of the concentration of a cation, other than the cation of the electrode metal, in the solution. The assembly consists of a metal in contact with two slightly soluble salts (one containing the cation of the solid metal, the other the cation to be determined, with both salts having a common anion) immersed in a solution containing a salt of the second metal (e.g., zinc metal--zinc oxalate--calcium oxalate--calcium salt solution). The potential of the metal is controlled by the concentration of its cation in the solution, but this is controlled by the anion concentration in the solution through the solubility product of the slightly soluble metal salt, which, in turn is controlled by the concentration of the cation of the second slightly soluble salt. These electrodes are very sluggish and unstable due to a series of equilibria to be established to produce a stable potential.

limiting reactant    →   mjerodavni reaktant

Limiting reactant is a reactant in a chemical reaction that limits the amount of product that can be formed. The reaction will stop when the entire limiting reagent is consumed. These other reactants are present in excess.

line spectrum    →   linijski spektar

Red-hot gases give line spectrum, i.e. is they emit electromagnetic rays of defined wavelengths. That kind of emission line of spectrum is characteristic of each chemical element.