CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

conformation    →   konformacija

Conformation is one of the very large numbers of possible spatial arrangements of atoms that can be interconverted by rotation about a single bond in a molecule. The conformation of a molecule is not fixed, though one or another shape may be more likely to occur. There are two extreme cases:

Staggered conformation (antiperiplanar) is a conformation about a carbon-carbon single bond in which the atoms on one carbon are as far apart as possible from the atoms on an adjacent carbon.

Eclipsed conformation (syn-periplanar) is a conformation about a carbon-carbon single bond in which the atoms on one carbon are as close as possible to the atoms on an adjacent carbon.

corrosion    →   korozija

Corrosion is a harmful and undesirable construction material consumption by the chemical activity of its surroundings. Corrosion concept refers to metal and nonmetal construction materials, but it is usually used for metals, Corrosion of metal, according to the mechanism process, is divided into chemical (corrosion in nonelectrolytes) and electrochemical (corrosion in electrolytes).

Chemical corrosion appears by direct action of molecule of some element or compound on metal, thus directly creating corrosion products.

Electrochemical corrosion of metals occurs in electrolytes, so reduction of metal atom into free cation appears which by secondary processes gives molecules of compound which are considered a corrosion product.

electrolytic cell    →   elektrolitska ćelija

Electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that converts electrical energy into chemical energy. The chemical reactions do not occur spontaneously at the electrodes when they are connected through an external circuit. The reaction must be forced by applying an external electric current. It is used to store electrical energy in chemical form (rechargeable battery). It is also used to decompose or produce (synthesise) new chemicals by the application of electrical power. This process is called electrolysis, e.g., water can be decomposed into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas. The free energy change of the overall cell reaction is positive.

plain salt    →   jednostavna sol

Plain salt is a salt that contains only metal ions (or ammonium ions) and acid radical. It is created when all ions of hydrogen in an acid are replaced with ions of metal (or ammonium ions).

electron    →   elektron

The electron is an elementary particle with a negative electric charge of (1.602 189 2±0.000 004 6)×10^-19 C and a mass of 1/1837 that of a proton, equivalent to (9.109 534±0.000 047)×10^-31 kg.

In 1897 the British physicist Joseph John (J.J.) Thomson (1856-1940) discovered the electron in a series of experiments designed to study the nature of electric discharge in a high-vacuum cathode-ray tube. Thomson interpreted the deflection of the rays by electrically charged plates and magnets as evidence of bodies much smaller than atoms that he calculated as having a very large value for the charge to mass ratio. Later he estimated the value of the charge itself.

Electrons are arranged in from one to seven shells around the nucleus; the maximum number of electrons in each shell is strictly limited by the laws of physics (2n²). The outer shells are not always filled: sodium has two electrons in the first shell (2×1² = 2), eight in the second (2×2² = 8), and only one in the third (2×3² = 18). A single electron in the outer shell may be attracted into an incomplete shell of another element, leaving the original atom with a net positive charge. Valence electrons are those that can be captured by or shared with another atom.

Electrons can be removed from the atoms by heat, light, electric energy, or bombardment with high-energy particles. Decaying radioactive nuclei spontaneously emit free electrons, called β particles.

electron affinity    →   elektronski afinitet

Electron affinity (E_A) is the energy change occurring when an atom or molecule gains an electron to form a negative ion. For an atom or molecule X, it is the energy released for the electron-attachment reaction

This is often measured in electronvolts. Alternatively, the molar enthalpy change, ΔH, can be used.

thixotropic fluid    →   tiksotropni fluid

Thixotropic fluid (thixotropy) is a liquid that becomes less viscous when stirred. Paint and printing inks are thixotropic fluids, they are formulated so that they flow more freely when brushed or rolled.

equilibrium constant    →   konstanta ravnoteže

The equilibrium constant (K) was originally introduced in 1863 by Norwegian chemists C.M. Guldberg and P. Waage using the law of mass action. For a reversible chemical reaction represented by the equation

chemical equilibrium occurs when the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the back reaction, so that the concentrations of products and reactants reach steady-state values.

The equilibrium constant is the ratio of chemical activities of the species A, B, C, and D at equilibrium.

To a certain approximation, the activities can be replaced by concentrations.

For gas reactions, partial pressures are used rather than concentrations

The units of K_p and K_c depend on the numbers of molecules appearing in the stoichiometric equation (a, b, c, and d).

The value equilibrium constant depends on the temperature. If the forward reaction is exothermic, the equilibrium constant decreases as the temperature rises. The equilibrium constant shows the position of equilibrium. A low value of K indicates that [C] and [D] are small compared to [A] and [B]; i.e. that the back reaction predominates.

The equilibrium constant is related to Δ_rG°, the standard Gibbs free energy change in the reaction, by

ether    →   eter

Ethers are organic compounds with a formula R-O-R, where R is not equal to H. They may be derived from alcohols by elimination of water, but the major method is catalytic hydration of olefins. They are volatile highly flammable compounds; when containing peroxides they can detonate on heating. The term ether is often used synonymously with diethyl ether.

graduated pipette    →   graduirana pipeta

Graduated pipettes (Mohr pipette) have a scale divided into units of one and of 1/10th of a millilitre. Because of their wide necks it is less accurate than the volumetric pipette. They are used when taking volume of solutions in which accuracy does not have to be very high. By sucking in (with mouth, propipette or a water pump) the liquid is pulled in a little bit above the mark and the opening of the pipet is closed with a forefingertip. Outer wall of pipet is wiped and, with a slight forefinger loosening, the liquid is released until it reaches the mark 0. A pipette is emptied out by lifting the forefinger off and letting the liquid flow out of the pipette freely.