CHEMISTRY GLOSSARY

Kjeldahl flask    →   Kjeldahlova tikvica

Kjeldahl flask is a round bottom flask with a long wide neck that is used in the determination of nitrogen by Kjeldahl’s method. The method was developed by the Danish chemist Johan Kjeldahl (1849-1900).

Kjeldahl’s method    →   Kjeldahlov postupak

Kjeldahl’s method is an analytical method for determination of nitrogen in certain organic compounds. The method was developed by the Danish chemist Johan Kjeldahl (1849-1900).

It involves addition of a small amount of anhydrous potassium sulphate to the test compound, followed by heating the mixture with concentrated sulphuric acid, often with a catalyst such as copper sulphate. As a result ammonia is formed. After alkalyzing the mixture with sodium hydroxyde, the ammonia is separated by distillation, collected in standard acid, and the nitrogen determined by back-titration.

1. Kjeldahl flask for decomposition (500 ml – macro or 100 ml - micro)
2. funnel for alkaline solution
3. Wagner tube (drop catcher)
4. condenser
5. absorption flask with known volume of standard acid

Knudsen burette    →   Knudsenova bireta

Knudsen's automatic bulb-burette, developed by the Danish physicist Martin Knudsen (1871-1949), is designed in a way that even routine field analysis in a boat laboratory would provide highly accurate measurements. The burette is filled with a mixture of silver nitrate from reservoir R, located above the burette, by opening the A valve. When the solution crosses the three-way C valve the A valve is closed preventing further solution flow in to the burette. Any extra solution is caught in the W bowl. Turn the C valve, which marks the zero on the scale, in order to allow atmospheric air to enter the burette. Since most open-ocean samples lie in a relatively small chlorinity range, the burette is designed so that much of its capacity is in the bulb (B). This allows the titration to be quick (by quickly releasing contents from the B area) and reduces the error that occurs from the slow drainage along the inner wall of the burette.

Each millimeter is divided in to twenty parts (double millimeter division of the Knudsen burette) which allows for highly accurate measurements (the scale is read up to a precision of 0.005 mL). From 0 to 16 the burette isn't divided, that usually starts from 16 and goes until 20.5 or 21.5. A single double millimeter on a Knudsen burette scale corresponds to one permille of chloride in the seawater sample. This burette can be used for titration of water from all of the oceans and seas, with the exemptions being areas with very low salinity (e.g. the Baltic Sea) and river estuaries which require the use of normal burettes.

Knudsen’s pipette    →   Knudsenova pipeta

Kudsen's automatic pipette, developed by the Danish physicist Martin Knudsen (1871-1949), allows quick and accurate transfer of a constant volume of liquid (sea water), usually around 15 mL. On the top of pipette is a double sided C vent that can establish flow between the body of the pipette and one of the branches (A or B), or isolate the body of the pipette from both of the branches. Sucking through the B branch the pipette is filled with liquid, it is closed with a twist of the C valve and the liquid is released by rotating the valve towards the A branch (so atmospheric air can enter the pipette). Emptying the pipette takes around 30 seconds. Before it's first use, the pipette must be calibrated with distilled water.

lactic acid    →   mliječna kiselina

Lactic acid is an acid produced as a result of anaerobic respiration in muscles and red blood cells, i.e. when glycogen is used as an energy source for respiration rather than oxygen. After production, it is converted back to glycogen in the liver. The build up of large amounts of lactic acid in the blood can lead to stress and toxic effects. High levels are usually a result of sustained, excessive exercise.

lactose    →   laktoza

Lactose (milk sugar) is a disaccharide comprising one glucose molecule linked to a galactose molecule by an β(1→4)-glycosidic linkage. Lactose has a beta acetal. Lactose is manufactured by the mammary gland and occurs only in milk (from 4 % to 7 %). Lactose intolerance is a common medical condition that results in diarrhea, abdominal pain, and flatulence and is caused by reduced or absent activity of enzyme lactase.

Like cellobiose and maltose, lactose is a reducing sugar. All reducing sugar undergo mutarotation in aqueous solution. The equilibrium mixture at 20 °C is composed of 62.7 % β-lactose (β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranose) and 37.3 % α-lactose (β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-D-glucopyranose).

laminar flow    →   laminarno strujanje

Laminar flow is a smooth, uniform, non-turbulent flow of a gas or liquid in parallel layers, with little mixing between layers. It is characterised by small values of the Reynolds number.

lanthanides    →   lantanoidi

Lanthanides (lanthanons, lanthanoids or rare-earth elements) are a series of fourteen elements in the periodic table, generally considered to range in proton number from cerium to lutetium inclusive. It was convenient to divide these elements into the cerium group or light earth: cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu); and the yttrium group or heavy earths: gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb) i lutetium (Lu). The position of lanthanum is somewhat equivocal and, although not itself a lanthanide, it is often included with them for comparative purpose. The lanthanides are sometimes simply called the rare earths. Apart from unstable Pm, the lanthanides are actually not rare. Cerium is the 26. most abundant of all elements, 5 times as abundant as Pb. All are silvery very reactive metals.

lateral chain    →   postranični lanac

Lateral chain is a shorter chain of hydrocarbons which is connected to the main chain of hydrocarbon.

lead-acid battery    →   olovni akumulator

Lead-acid battery is a electrical storage device that uses a reversible chemical reaction to store energy. It was invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. Lead-acid batteries are composed of a lead(IV) oxide cathode, a sponge metallic lead anode and a sulphuric acid solution electrolyte.

In charging, the electrical energy supplied to the battery is changed to chemical energy and stored. The chemical reaction during recharge is normally written:

In discharging, the chemical energy stored in the battery is changed to electrical energy. During discharge, lead sulfate (PbSO4) is formed on both the positive and negative plates. The chemical reaction during discharge is normally written:

Lead acid batteries are low cost, robust, tolerant to abuse, tried and tested. For higher power applications with intermittent loads however, they are generally too big and heavy and they suffer from a shorter cycle life.