CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

optically active matter    →   optički aktivna tvar

Optically active matter, by polarized light passing through it, turns the flat of polarized light leftwards or rightwards.

surfactant    →   površinski aktivna tvar

Surfactants are substances which diminish the surface tension of liquids.

optical activity    →   optička aktivnost

Optical activity is the ability of a chiral molecule to rotate the plane of plane-polairzed light. Molecules of an optically active substance cannot be superimposed on their own mirror images, just as your left hand cannot be superimposed on your right when both are held palm-down.

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

crystalline substance    →   kristalna tvar

Crystalline substances are substances that contain crystals.

dissolved substance    →   otopljena tvar

Dissolved substance is a solid, liquid or gas matter dissolved in a solvent. Depending upon the particle size of dissolved substance, solutions differ in properties and can be divided into real solutions (diameter of particles is smaller than 1 nm), colloid solutions (diameter of particles is from 1 nm to 200 nm) and suspensions (diameter of particles is greater than 200 nm).

elementary substance    →   elementarna tvar

Elementary substance is a simple and pure substance which can not be, by chemistry methods, decomposed further into simpler substances.

foreign matter    →   strana tvar

Foreign matter most commonly refers to the presence of unwanted or undesirable material present in foods or chemicals.

impure substance    →   nečista tvar

Impure substance is every substance that contains traces of other elements or compounds in itself.

insoluble substance    →   netopljiva tvar

Insoluble substance is a substance that does not dissolve in a solvent to give a reasonable concentration (e.g. chalk is insoluble in water).