The currently preferred method for naming ions of metals that can have more than one charge in compounds is called the Stock system. Here we use the English name followed, without a space, by the numerical value of the charge written as a Roman numeral...

A ■ Carbohydrates Carbohydrates, also known as glucides, are the main source of energy for living organisms. Glucose is a carbohydrate that is produced in the green parts of plants from carbon dioxide and water. This process, which converts the...

The transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and tissues is a complex process that involves several reversible reactions, each of which behaves in accordance with Le Châtelier’s principle. The binding of oxygen to hemoglobin is a...

Precipitation reactions occur around us all the time and we hardly ever take notice until they cause a problem. One common problem is caused by hard water – groundwater that contains the «hardness ions», Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+ or Fe3+, in concentration...

A ■ Chemical equilibrium: products also react At a microscopic level, the equilibrium is dynamic as it results from two opposed processes progressing at equal rates. When a reaction is at chemical equilibrium the forward and reverse reaction...

Something these have in common is the need for a proper pH. The water in swimming pools is more than just water; it’s a dilute mix of chemicals that prevent the growth of bacteria and stabilize the pool lining. For the pool chemistry to be properly...

Spacecraft need a source of electrical power and astronauts need enough water for drinking and washing. Because the mass of spacecraft that are built to lift off from planets must be kept as low as possible, most batteries – which usually provide...

A ■ Names of substances The need for a systematic method of naming chemical compounds has been recognised since the end of the 18th century when the first system, using geometric symbols to distinguish the elements, was devised. Today chemical...

A ■ Reaction equations Chemical reactions are represented by the reaction scheme: reactants → products. The indices of the reactants and products indicate how many atoms of that species are present in the molecule and the symbols in brackets...

Our complex modern life style was made possible by the discovery and refining of fossil fuels, fuels that are the result of the decay of organic matter laid down millions of years ago. The natural gas that heats our homes, the gasoline that powers our...

A ■ Ionisation of water The ionisation of water reaction leads to the formation of hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxide ions (OH–).The equilibrium constant, defined as the product of the concentrations of H+ and OH– ions, is called the ion product...

A ■ The chemistry of electricity The Galvanic cell, or Voltaic cell, or simply called a battery, is a device that converts the chemical energy of a spontaneous redox reaction into electrical energy. An electrolytic cell is a device that consumes...

The smell hit me like a punch in the teeth. Staggering, I tried to make sense of the pungent, salty, almost sweet odor. It was certainly offensive, but also curiously intriguing. What was this? The offending waft came from a single molecule found in...

A ■ The «ABC» of energy transfers Thermodynamics is the branch of science that deals with all possible energy transfers involving matter. Thermochemistry is a branch of thermodynamics that deals with the exchange of heat during a chemical...

A ■ Functional Groups A functional group is an atom or group of atoms capable of giving a particular reactivity to the molecule to which it belongs. B ■ alogen derivatives Organic halides are synthesised with the radical substitution...

It was quite the most incredible event that has ever happened to me in my life. It was almost as incredible as if you fired a 15-inch shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you. On consideration, I realized that this scattering...

  A ■ The electrical nature of matter The electrical nature of matter can be directly experienced, and it can be demonstrated that: the electric charge can be of two types: positive (+) and negative (−); charges of the same sign repel...