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C2 Glossary AW
Glossary of key words for C2- Chemical Resources
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Acid | Solution with a pH of less than 7. |
Aggregate | Gravel made of a range of particle sizes. |
Alkali | A soluble base. A substance which produces OH- ions in water. |
Alloy | A mixture of two or more metals- used to make coins. |
Anion | Ion with a negative charge; they move to the anode during electrolysis. |
Anode | Electrode with a positive charge. |
Atmosphere | Mixture of gases above the lithosphere, mainly nitrogen and oxygen. |
Backward reaction | The reaction which goes from right to left in a reversible reaction. |
Balanced symbol equation | A symbolic respresentation showing the kind and amount of the starting materials and products of a reaction. |
Basalt | A rock which forms when magma cools. |
Base | A substance that will react with acids. |
Boiling point | Temperature at which a liquid turns into a gas. |
Brass | An alloy which contains copper and zinc. |
Catalyst | Substance added to a chemical reaction to alter the speed of the reaction- it is not used up during the reaction. |
Cathode | Electrode with a negative charge. |
Cation | Ion with a positive charge; they move to the cathode during electrolysis. |
Cement | The substance made when limestone and clay are heated together. |
Composite material | A material which consists identifiably different substances. |
Concrete | A form of artificial stone. |
Convection current | When particles in a liquid or gas gain thermal energy from a warmer region and move into a cooler region, taking this energy with them. |
Corrode | To lose strength due to chemical attack. |
Covalent bond | Bond between two atoms where an electron pair is shared. |
Crust | Surface layer of the Earth made of tectonic plates. |
Decomposes | Chemically broken down. |
Degassing | Gases coming out of a volcano. |
Double covalent bond | Covalent bond where each atom shares two electrons with the other atom. |
Electrolysis | When an electric current is passed through a solution which conducts electricity. |
Electrolyte | The liquid in which electrolysis takes place. |
Epicentre | The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake. |
Fault | A crack in the Earth’s crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other. |
Granite | An igneous rock. |
Forward reaction | The reaction which goes from left to right in a reversible reaction. |
Haber process | Industrial process for making ammonia. |
Hydrated iron (III) oxide | The chemical name for rust. |
Igneous rock | Rock which has formed when liquid rock has solidified. |
Ionisation | The formation of ions (charged particles) |
Ionosphere | A reagion of the Earth’s atmosphere where ionisation caused by incoming solar radiation affects the transmission of radio waves; it extends from 70km (43 miles) to 400km (250 miles) above the surface. |
Limestone | A sedimentary rock, made of calcium carbonate. |
Lithosphere | The cold rigid outer part of the Earth which includes the crust and upper part of the mantle. |
Longitudinal | In longitudinal waves, the vibration is in the same direction in which the wave travels. |
Magma | Molten rock found below the Earth’s surface. |
Mantle | Semi-liquid layer of the Earth beneath the crust. |
Marble | A metamorphic rock, made of calcium carbonate. |
Melting point | The temperature at which a solid changes to a liquid. |
Metamorphic rock | Rock which has been changed after it has formed. |
Nitrifying-bacteria | Bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrates. |
Nitrifying-fixing bacteria | Bacteria that converts ammonia into nitrates. |
Nitrogenous fertiliser | A fertiliser which contains a nitrogen compound. |
Nucleus | Central part of an atom that contains protons and neutrons. |
Oxidation | A chemical reaction in which a substance gains oxygen and/or loses electrons. |
Ozone layer | Layer for the Earth’s atmosphere that protects us from ultraviolet rays. |
p wave | Longitudinal seismic wave capable of travelling through solid and liquid parts of the Earth. |
pH meter | A device which measures the pH of a substance accurately. |
pH scale | Scale in which acids have a pH of below 7, alkalis a pH of above 7 and a neutral substance a pH of 7. |
Recycle | To reuse materials. |
Reduction | A chemical reaction in which a substance loses oxygen and/or gains electrons. |
Reinforced concrete | Concrete with steel rods or mesh running through it. |
Rhyolite | A rock which forms when silica rich magma cools. |
Rust | The substance made when iron corrodes, hydrated iron (III) oxide. |
s wave | Transverse seismic wave capable of travelling through solid but not liquid parts of the Earth. |
Salt | A substance formed when any acid reacts with a base. |
Sedimentary rock | Rock which has formed when fragments of older rock or living things have stuck together or by precipitation. |
Seismic wave | Vibration transmitted through the Earth. |
Seismometer | A device used to detect movements in the Earth’s crust. |
Sensor | Device that detects changes in the environment. |
Shock wave | Seismic wave that travels out from the epicentre of an earthquake. |
Smart alloy | An alloy which will return to a previous shape. |
Solder | An alloy which contains lead and tin. |
Steel | An alloy which contains iron. |
Stratosphere | A layer in the atmosphere starting at 15km above sea level and extending to 50km above sea level; the ozone layer is found in the stratosphere. |
Subduction | Where one tectonic plate sinks below another. |
Subsidence | Settling of the ground caused by mining. |
Tectonic plate | A large section of the lithosphere which can move across the surface of the Earth. |
Thermal decomposition | A reaction in which, when heated, one substance is chemically changed into at least two new substances. |
Transerve | In transverse waves, the vibration is at right angles to the direction in which the wave travels. |
Tsunami | Huge waves caused by earthquakes-can be very destructive. |