CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

fluid mechanics    →   mehanika fluida

Fluid mechanics is the study of various properties of the fluid (liquids and gases): velocity, pressure, density and temperature, as functions of space and time.

chemical change    →   kemijska promjena

Chemical change is a process which results in the production of one or more new materials. The system within which the process takes place is called a chemical system. A chemical change is also known as a chemical reaction, where one substance is converted into one or more different substances. When sodium and chlorine react to produce sodium chloride, a chemical reaction has taken place.

chemical equation    →   kemijska jednadžba

Chemical equation is a way of denoting a chemical reaction using the symbol for the participating particles (atoms, molecules, ions, etc.); for example,

The single arrow is used for an irreversible reaction; double arrows are used for reversible reactions. When reactions involve different phases, it is usual to put the phase in brackets after the symbol.

The numbers a, b, c, and d, showing the relative numbers of molecules reacting, are called the stoichiometric coefficients. The convention is that stoichiometric coefficients are positive for reactants and negative for products. If the sum of the coefficients is zero, the equation is balanced.

fusion    →   fuzija

Fusion is nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei are brought together into a larger nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy. It is also used in the production of hydrogen bombs.

Heisenberg uncertainty principle    →   Heisenbergov princip neodređenosti

Heisenberg uncertainty principle is the principle that it is not possible to know with unlimited accuracy both the position and momentum of a particle. The German physicist Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) discovered this principle in 1927.

chromatography    →   kromatografija

Chromatography is a method of separation of the components of a sample in which the components are distributed between two phases, one of which is stationary while the other moves. In gas chromatography, the gas moves over a liquid or solid stationary phase. In liquid chromatography, the liquid mixture moves through another liquid, a solid, or a gel. The mechanism of separation of components may be adsorption, differential solubility, ion-exchange, permeation, or other mechanisms.

coenzyme    →   koenzim

Coenzyme is an organic nonprotein molecule, such as a vitamin, that associates with an enzyme in catalysing biochemical reactions. Coenzymes usually participate in the substrate-enzyme interaction by donating or acepting certain chemical groups.

coenzyme a    →   koenzim a

Coenzyme A (CoA) is an essential metabolic cofactor synthesized from cysteine, pantothenate (vitamin B5), and ATP. CoA plays important roles in many metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids. One of the main functions of CoA is the carrying and transfer of acyl groups. Acylated derivatives (acetyl-CoA) are critical intermediates in many metabolic reactions.

inhibitor    →   inhibitor

Inhibitor is a chemical that stops (or at least decreases the rate of) a chemical reaction.

intermediate    →   intermedijer

Intermediate is a molecular or ionic species that is formed (directly or indirectly) from the reactants and reacts further (directly or indirectly) to form the products of the reaction. It does not accumulate during the course of the reaction.