The Interactive Chemistry Kit Glossary

Alkaline

Having a pH of more than 7

Ammonia

A pungent colorless gaseous alkaline compound of nitrogen and hydrogen NH3 that is very soluble in water and can easily be condensed to a liquid by cold and pressure

Beaker

A deep wide-mouthed thin-walled vessel usually with a lip for pouring that is used especially in science laboratories

Bunsen burner

A gas burner consisting typically of a straight tube with small holes at the bottom where air enters and mixes with the gas to produce an intensely hot blue flame

Charcoal

A dark or black porous carbon prepared from vegetable or animal substances (as from wood by charring in a kiln from which air is excluded)

Compound

Something formed by a union of elements or parts; especially: a distinct substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportion by weight

Dehydrate

To remove bound water or hydrogen and oxygen from (a chemical compound) in the proportion in which they form water

Dehydrogenate

To remove hydrogen from (a compound)

Elements

One of the simple substances air, water, fire and earth of which according to early natural philosophers the physical universe was composed

Electron

One of the constituent elementary particles of an atom being a charge of negative electricity equal to about 1.602E-14 gram

Eruption

An act, processes, or instance of erupting

Evaporate

To convert into vapor

Hydrogen

The simpliest and lightest of the elements, that is normally a colorles, ordorless highly flammable diatomic gas, that occurs in the free state only sparely on the earth and in its atmosphere though abundantly in the sun

Ion

Free electron or other charged subatomic particle

Oxidize

To combine with oxygen, to dehydrogenate especially by the action of oxygen, to change (a compound) by increasing the proportion of the electronegative part or change (an element or ion) from a lower to a higher positive valence, remove one or more electrons from (an atom, ion, or molecule)

Oxygen

A colorless, ordorless, tasteless gas, that is the most abundant of the elements on earth occuring uncombined to the extent of about 21 percent by volume

Particle

One of the minute subdivisions of matter

pH

The negative logarithm of the effective hydrogen-ion concentration or hydrogen-ion activity in gram equivalent per liter determined in various ways and used for convenienve in expressing both acidity and alkalinity

Phenolphthalein

A white or yellowish white crystalline compound C20H14O4 used in analysis as an indicator because its solution is brilliant red in alkalis and is decolorized by acids and in medicine as a laxative

Potassium chlorate

A crystalline salt KClO3 that is used as an oxidizing agent in matches, fireworks, and explosives

Potassium nitrate

A crystalline salt KNO3 that occurs as a product of nitrification in arable soils, is a strong oxidizer, and is used especially in making gunpowder, as a fertilizer, and in medicine

Rubbing alcohol

A cooling and soothing liquid for external application that contains approximately 70 percent denatured ethyl alcohol or isopropanol

Spontaneous combustion

Self-ignition of combustible material through chemical action (as oxidation) of its constituents -- called also spontaneous ignition

Sulfuric acid

A heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H2SO4 that is colorless when pure and is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent