CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

amphoteric substances    →   amfoterna tvar

Amphoteric substances can behave as acids or as bases depending upon their surroundings. So aluminium hydroxide in reaction with acids will behave as a base

and in reaction with bases it will act as an acid

barrel    →   barel

Barrel (US, petrol) is an American unit of capacity usually employed in the petroleum industry and trading in fuels (barell = 158.987 294 9 L).

barrier film    →   barijerni film

Barrier film is a thin, continuous, non-porous, electrically insulating film on metal surfaces (usually comprised of oxides).

barytes    →   barit

Barytes is an orthorhombic mineral, form barium sulphate, BaSO₄, the chief of barium. It is usually white but my also be yellow, grey or brown. Large deposits occur in Andalusia, Spain and in the USA.

bathymetry    →   batimetrija

Bathymetry (from the Greek word bathus, deep) is the science of measuring the depths of the oceans, seas, lakes, etc. or the topographic maps of the sea floor that result from such measurements. Bathymetric charts are designed to present accurate, measurable description and visual presentation of the submerged terrain.

battery acid    →   baterijska kiselina

Battery acid is a solution of approximately 6 mol L^-1 sulphuric acid used in the lead storage battery

ball mill    →   kuglični mlin

Ball mill is a grinder for reducing hard materials to powder. The grinding is carried out by the pounding and rolling of a charge of steel or ceramic balls carried within the cylinder. The cylinder rotates at a relatively slow speed, allowing the balls to cascade through the mill base, thus grinding or dispersing the materials.

Type of ball mills, centrifugal and planetary mills, are devices used to rapidly grind materials to colloidal fineness (approximately 1 μm and below) by developing high grinding energy via centrifugal and/or planetary action.

Bronsted-Lowry’s acid-base theory    →   Bronsted-Lowryeva teorija kiselina i lužina

Brønsted-Lowry’s acid-base theory: Acid is a substance which gives a proton (protondonor) and base is a substance which accepts a proton (protonacceptor).

barium    →   barij

Barium was discovered by Sir Humphry Davy (England) in 1808. The origin of the name comes from the Greek word barys meaning heavy. It is soft, slightly malleable, silvery-white metal. Attacked by air and water. Soluble compounds toxic by ingestion. Barium is found in barytine (BaSO₄) and witherite (BaCO₃), never found in pure form due to its reactivity. Must be stored under kerosene to remain pure. Barite, or barium sulfate (BaSO₄), when ground is used as a filter for rubber, plastics and resins. It is insoluble in water and so is used in X-rays of the digestive system. Barium nitrate, Ba(NO₃)₂, burns brilliant green and is used in fireworks.

buffer capacity    →   puferski kapacitet

Buffer capacity is number of moles of a strong acid or a strong base needed to change pH of 1 dm³ of buffer solution for pH unit.