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A- achiral
- Describes any molecule or object that
is superimposable upon its mirror image.
- acid
- A compound that produces hydrogen ions
in water solution.
- acidification
- The process of increasing the hydrogen
ion concentration.
- adsorption
- The concentration of a substance on
the surface of another substance, which is usually solid.
- aerobic
- Living or active only in the presence
of oxygen.
- aerogel
- A porous solid formed by replacing the
liquid in a gel
with a gas; what remains when the liquid part of an alcogel is removed
without damaging the solid part.
- alcogel
- A gel formed by the
coagulation of a sol in which the liquid is
alcohol; at the gel point, the mixture forms a rigid substance that
can stand on its own. The liquid and solid parts of an alcogel
occupy the same volume.
- alcohol
- A class of organic compounds which has
an OH group covalently bonded to a carbon atom.
- alkaline
- Describes an alkali (basic) or a
solution that has excess of hydroxide ions.
- alkane
- A saturated hydrocarbon with the
general formula CnH2n+2.
- alkylated
- A molecule that has attached to it an
alkyl group (derived from an alkane —
CnH2n+2), which is a saturated hydrocarbon
with a single bond available.
- allotrope (allotropic form)
- Different bonding arrangements
allowing for different forms of matter to be made from a single
type of atom. Different forms of matter made in this way are called
allotropes. For example, ozone (O3) and dioxygen
(O2) are allotropes of the element oxygen. Also,
diamond, buckyball, and graphite are allotropes of carbon.
- amalgam
- An alloy of mercury with another
metal, often used as a dental filling.
- amide
- an organic functional group that has
the following structure:
- amphetamines
- Any of the compounds which are
substituted or slightly modified amphetamine molecules.
- amphoteric
- A compound that can act as a base and
an acid.
- anabolism
- Metabolic synthesis of proteins, fats
and other constituents of living organisms from molecules or simple
precursors, which usually requires an input of energy.
- anesthetic
- A substance that produces loss of
sensation, sometimes with loss of consciousness as well.
- angstrom
- A unit of length equal to 1 x
10-8 cm or .1 nanometer. It was named
after A. J. Angstrom (1814-1874), a Swedish spectroscopist.
- anion
- A negative ion.
- anode
- A positive electrode; the electrode
toward which electrons flow; the electrode at which oxidation
occurs.
- anthropogenic
- Resulting from the actions and
influence of human beings.
- antiaromaticity
- The unusual instability that results
from a continuous cyclic system of 4n pi electrons (where n is any
integer).
- antimatter
- Any subatomic particle identical in
mass to a proton, neutron, or electron, but with the opposite
charge.For example, a positron is a positive electron.A collision
between a particle and its respective antiparticle results in both
being annihilated, with their masses converted to photons of
equivalent energy.
- antisense
- Having a sequence complementary to a
segment of genetic material and serving to inhibit gene
function.
- aquifer
- Water bearer. Earth materials that
contain ground water and through which ground water may flow
freely. Some examples of these include sand, porous sandstone, and
gravel. Aquifers vary widely in their ability to hold water and the
speed at which water flows through them.
- aromaticity
- The unusual stability that results
from a continuous cyclic system of 4n + 2 (where n is any integer)
pi-electrons in a cyclic compound. This stability results from
complete filling of bonding pi molecular orbitals.
- asteroid
- Any of the thousands of small bodies
that revolve about the sun in orbits lying mostly between those of
Mars and Jupiter. Also known as a minor planet.
- atherosclerosis
- A disease of the arterial walls
characterized by fatty deposits and abnormal tissue growth.
- atmosphere
- Unit of pressure equal to 101325
pascals or 760mmHg. Its symbol is atm.
- atom
- The smallest unit of an element which
has all the properties of the element. It is composed of protons,
neutrons and electrons.
- autoclave
- An airtight chamber use for processes
requiring dry temperatures above 212 degrees F.
- Avogadro's number
- The number of particles present in 1
mole of a substance, experimentally determined to be 6.02 x
1023.
Glossary created by David Shaw (Madison Area Technical College) for The Chemistry Place. Information Please® Chemistry Place, ©2005 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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