CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

asbestos    →   azbest

Asbestos is any one of a group of fibrous amphibole minerals (from the silicate group). It has widespread commercial uses because of its resistance to heat, chemical inertness., and high electrical resistance. Since 1970s short asbestos fibres have been recognized as a cause of asbestosis, a serious lung disorder, and mesothelioma, a fatal form of lung cancer. These concerns have limited its use and imposed many safety procedures when it is used.

electromagnetic wave    →   elektromagnetski val

All matter absorbs and emits radiation covering a broad band of frequencies and wavelengths. Thus electromagnetic radiation has the velocity of light (2.998×10⁸ ms^-1) and arises from the vibrating electric charges in atoms and bonds. The range of wavelengths, also known as the electromagnetic spectrum, is shown below:

electrostatics    →   elektrostatika

Electrostatics study of electric charges at rest.

bismuth    →   bizmut

Bismuth was discovered by Claude Geoffroy (France) in 1753. The origin of the name comes from the German words Weisse Masse meaning white mass; now spelled wismut and bisemutum. It is hard, brittle, steel-grey metal with a pink tint. Stable in oxygen and water. Dissolves in concentrated nitric acid. Bismuth can be found free in nature and in minerals like bismuthine (Bi₂S₃) and in bismuth ochre (Bi₂O₃) Main use is in pharmaceuticals and low melting point alloys used as fuses.

Bunsen, Robert Wilhem    →   Bunsen, Robert Wilhem

Robert Wilhem Bunsen (1811-1899) is a German chemist who held professorships at Kassel, Marburg and Heidelberg. His early researches on organometallic compound of arsenic cost him an eye in an explosion. Bunsen's most important work was in developing several techniques used in separating, identifying, and measuring various chemical substances. He also improvement chemical battery for use in isolating quantities of pure metals - Bunsen battery.

The essential piece of laboratory equipment that has immortalized the name of Bunsen was not invented by him. Bunsen improved the burner's design, which had been invented by Faraday, to aid his endeavors in spectroscopy. Use of the Bunsen burner in conjunction with a glass prism led to the development of the spectroscope in collaboration with the German physicist Gustav Kirchoff and to the spectroscopic discovery of the elements rubidium (1860) and cesium (1861).

farad    →   farad

Farad (F) is the SI derived unit of electric capacitance. The farad is the capacitance of an electric capacitor between the two plates of which there appears a difference of electric potential of one volt when it is charged by a quantity of electricity equal to one coulomb (F = C/V). The unit was named after the British scientist M. Faraday (1791-1867).

Faraday cage    →   Faradayev kavez

Faraday cage is a container giving protection from electrical fields: an assembly of conducting material, for example, metal mesh or grid, placed around electrical equipment to protect it from external electrical fields. Faraday cages are named after the English scientist Michael Faraday (1791-1867).

Faraday constant    →   Faradayeva konstanta

Faraday constant (F) is the electric charge of 1 mol of singly charged positive ions.

where N_A is Avogadro’s constant (6.022×10²³ mol^-1) and e is the elementary charge (1.602×10^-19 C).

capacitor    →   kondenzator

Capacitor is a device that stores electric charges. The symbol for a capacitor in electric circuit schemes is —| |—.

carbon    →   ugljik

Carbon has been known since ancient times. The origin of the name comes from the Latin word carbo meaning charcoal. Graphite form of carbon is a black, odourless, slippery solid. Graphite sublimes at 3825 °C. Diamond form is a clear or colored; an extremely hard solid. C60 is Buckminsterfullerine. Carbon black burns readily with oxidants. Carbon is made by burning organic compounds with insufficient oxygen. There are close to ten million known carbon compounds, many thousands of which are vital to organic and life processes. Radiocarbon dating uses the carbon-14 isotope to date old objects.