CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

solubility    →   topljivost

Solubility is the maximum amount of solute that dissolves in a given quantity of solvent at a specific temperature. Generally, for a solid in a liquid, solubility increases with temperature; for a gas, solubility decreases. Common measures of solubility include the mass of solute per unit mass of solution (mass fraction), mole fraction of solute, molality, molarity, and others.

silver/silver-chloride electrode    →   srebro/srebrov klorid elektroda

Silver/silver-chloride electrode is by far the most common reference type used today because it is simple, inexpensive, very stable and non-toxic. It is mainly used with saturated potassium chloride electrolyte, but can be used with lower concentrations such as 3.5 mol dm^-3 or 1 mol dm^-3 potassium chloride. Silver/silver-chloride electrode is a referent electrode based on the following halfreaction

stratosphere    →   stratosfera

Stratosphere is the part of the earth’s atmosphere extending from the top of the troposphere (typically 10 km to 15 km above the surface) to about 50 km. It is characterised by an increase in temperature with increasing altitude.

supercritical fluid    →   superkritični fluid

Supercritical fluid is any substance above its critical temperature and critical pressure (see phase diagram). It shows unique properties that are different from those of either gases or liquids under standard conditions. A supercritical fluid has both the gaseous property of being able to penetrate anything, and the liquid property of being able to dissolve materials into their components. Solublity increases with increasing density (i.e. with increasing pressure). An example of this is naphthalene which is practically insoluble in low pressure carbon dioxide. At 100 bar the solubility is 10 g/L and at 200 bar it is 50 g/L. Rapid expansion of supercritical solutions leads to precipitation of a finely divided solid.

superfluid helium    →   superfluidni helij

Superfluidity in helium-4 was discovered in 1938 by the Soviet physicist Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa. Helium-4 exhibits superfluidity when it is cooled below 2.18 K (-270.97 C), which is called the lambda (λ) point. At these temperatures, helium-4 exhibits the characteristics of two distinct fluids, one of which appears to flow without friction. An extensive series of experiments showed that in this state of helium, called helium II (He II), there is an apparent enormous rise in heat conductivity, at an increase rate of about three million. Another unusual property of He II is its mobile, rapid flow through capillaries or over the rim of its containment vessel as a thin film that exhibits no measurable viscosity and appears unaffected by the forces of gravity or evaporation and condensation.

thermal expansion    →   toplinsko rastezanje

Thermal expansion is a change in dimensions of a material resulting from a change in temperature. All objects change size with changes in temperature. The change ΔL in any linear dimension L is given by

in which α is the thermal coefficient of linear expansion, L_o is the initial or reference dimension at temperature T_o (reference temperature) and ΔT is change in temperature which causes the change in dimension.

The change ΔV in the volume of a sample of solid or liquid is

Here γ is coefficient of volume expansion, V_o is the volume of the sample at temperature T_o and ΔV is the change in volume over the temperature range ΔT. With isotropic substances, the coefficient of volume expansion can be calculated from the coefficient of linear expansion: γ = 3α.

thermal resistance    →   toplinski otpor

Heat always flows from a higher to a lower temperature level. The driving force for the heat flux lies in the temperature difference ΔT between two temperature levels. Analogous to Ohm’s law, the following holds:

where H = dQ/dt is heat flux, measured in watts, ΔT is temperature difference across the thermal resistance, measured in kelvin, and R_th is thermal resistance, measured in K/W.

For example, suppose there were two houses with walls of equal thickness; one is made of glass and the other of asbestos. On a cold day, heat would pass through the glass house much faster. The thermal restistance of asbestos is then higher than of glass.

If the thermal Ohm’s law is divided by the heat capacity C, Newton’s law of cooling is obtained:

where dT/dt is rate of cooling or heating, measured in K s^-1, and C is heat capacity, measured in J K^-1.

thermite    →   termit

Thermite is a stoichiometric powdered mixture of iron(II) oxide and aluminium for the reaction

The reaction is highly exothermic and the increase in temperature (over 2500 °C) is sufficient to melt the iron produced. It has been used for localized welding of steel object (e.g. railway lines) in the thermit process. Thermite is also used in incendiary bombs.

thermodynamic laws    →   termodinamički zakoni

Thermodynamic laws are the foundation of the science of thermodynamics:

First law: The internal energy of an isolated system is constant; if energy is supplied to the system in the form of heat dq and work dw, then the change in energy dU = dq + dw.

Second law: No process is possible in which the only result is the transfer of heat from a reservoir and its complete conversion to work.

Third law: The entropy of a perfect crystal approaches zero as the thermodynamic temperature approaches zero.

thermometer    →   termometar

Thermometers are devices for measuring temperature. Linear and volume thermal expansion are macroscopic properties of matter, which can be easily measured, relative to measurements of microscopic properties, on the basis of which, temperature is defined. Thermometers based on thermal expansion are secondary instruments that is, they have to be calibrated in comparison to a standard thermometer. In a thermometer with liquid, mercury or alcohol is placed in a small glass container. If temperature increases, the liquid undergoes volume expansion and rises in a capillary. The level of the raised liquid is the measure of temperature. Mercury thermometers measure temperatures in the temperature range between -39 °C and 300 °C. Alcohol thermometers measure lower temperatures. Bimetal thermometers have a spiral spring, which consists of two metals with different coefficients of linear expansion. When temperature changes, metals undergo different change in length and the consequence twisting of the spring is transferred to a pointer, the deflection of which is the measure of temperature.