CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

nascent state    →   nascentno stanje

Nascent state is an especially active state of an element in a moment when it is released from a compound during chemical reaction, e.g. nascent hydrogen.

oxidating agent    →   oksidans

Oxidating agent is a substance that receives electrons and oxidates other substances. Oxidating agent is always reduced in this reaction.

oxidation    →   oksidacija

The term oxidation originally meant a reaction in which oxygen combines chemically with another substance. More generally, oxidation is a part of a chemical reaction in which a reactant loses electrons (increases oxidation number). Simultaneous reduction of a different reactant must occur (redox reaction).

polycondensational polymer    →   polikondenzacijski polimer

Polycondensational polymers are compounds which are obtained by condensation polymerization with successive repetitions of the condensation reaction.

polymorphic transition    →   polimorfni prijelaz

Polymorphic transition is a reversible transition of a solid crystalline phase at a certain temperature and pressure to another phase of the same chemical composition with a different crystal structure. For examples, the transitions of quartz (SiO₂) at 1 143 K to tridymite, and at 1 743 K to cristobalite.

explosive    →   eksploziv

Explosive is a compound or mixture that, when ignited or detonated, undergoes rapid violent chemical reaction that produces large amount of gas and heat, accompanied by light, sound and a high pressure shock wave.

Faraday’s laws of electrolysis    →   Faradayevi zakoni elektrolize

Faraday’s laws of electrolysis are two laws found by British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867) in his experiments on electrolysis:

1. The quantity of matter extracted on the electrode is proportional to the quantity of charge (Q = I·t) which has flown in electrolysis time.

where z = number of electrons changed in reaction and F = Faraday’s constant which equals 96 487 C mol^-1.

2. The masses of the elements liberated by the same quantity of electricity are directly proportional to their chemical equivalents.

96 487 C will discharge 1 mol Ag and 1/2 mol Cu. The relevant half reactions are:

precipitate    →   precipitat

Precipitate or the deposit is an insoluble solid formed by reactions in a solution. For example, when a solution of silver nitrate is added to a solution of sodium chloride, insoluble silver chloride precipitates.

product    →   produkt

Products are substances developed by chemical reactions from reactants.

racemisation    →   racemizacija

Racemisation is a conversion, by heat or by chemical reaction, of an optically active compound into an optically inactive form which half of the optically active substance becomes its miror image (enantiomer).