Chemistry for Engineers 1 - Safety Precautions, Lab Equipment & Electrochemistry

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering safety precautions, chemical handling, personal protective equipment, GHS hazard communication, SDS specifications, chemistry laboratory tools and apparatus, and fundamental redox electrochemistry.

Chemical

Any substance that has a defined composition, which can take on various forms and have different effects and reactions when in contact with another object.

First Aid

Immediate care that is given to an individual suffering from an ailment, injury, or disease.

Accident

An unexpected event that can lead to bodily harm or damage to property.

Chemical Exposure

Occurs when a person comes into contact with a chemical or substance that can cause bodily harm when not treated.

Ingestion

The consumption of a substance by an organism.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Also known as Isopropanol, a chemical used as a disinfectant that is dangerous to ingest even in small amounts.

Coma

A state characterized by a decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness.

Inhalation

The process by which gases or air enter the lungs, occurring autonomically as a vital breathing process critical for sustaining life.

Muriatic Acid

Also commonly referred to as Hydrochloric Acid, frequently used in both industrial and cleaning applications.

Cyanosis

A blue or purple color on the skin resulting from lack of oxygen or severe chemical exposure.

Skin Exposure

Also known as skin absorption, occurs when hazardous chemicals are accidentally spilled, splashed, or come into direct contact with unprotected skin.

Hydrogen Fluoride

A chemical stored in tightly sealed, corrosion-resistant containers, widely used in producing fluorocarbons, refining petroleum, etching glass, and cleaning metals.

Injection (Chemical Exposure)

Occurs when chemicals are injected into the main bloodstream of the body, resulting in chemical reactions within the body that differ based on the chemical.

Formaldehyde

A chemical used for the preservation of tissue samples for analysis, disinfection, sterilization of environments, and prevention of biological decay.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Protective clothing and equipment (such as helmets, goggles, gloves, masks, and safety boots) that protects workers from workplace hazards as a last line of defense.

Respiratory Protection

A mask or device worn over the mouth and nose to protect the respiratory system by filtering out dangerous substances (dusts, fumes, bacteria) from inhaled air.

Hearing Protection

Equipment used to reduce the risk of noise-induced hearing loss from high noise levels, commonly used in manufacturing, mining, construction, and aviation.

Head Protection

Essential protective equipment designed to protect individuals from falling objects or debris in the workplace.

Eye Protection

Critical safety equipment widely used to avoid vision or eye loss and potential face injuries.

Foot and Leg Protection

An essential part of PPE designed to prevent the lower body from being damaged and avoid potential immobilization.

Hand and Arm Protection

Equipment designed to prevent injuries or outcomes of hazards, which should match the specific chemical being worked with.

Body Protection

Clothing equipment that offers protection against extreme temperatures, cuts, burns, chemical spills, and other physical hazards.

Chemical Protection (PPE)

Protective gear designed to protect against exposure to hazardous chemicals, infectious diseases, and radioactive materials.

Hazard Assessment

The initial evaluation process of identifying and assessing workplace risks and hazards to determine the proper PPE required.

Category I PPE

PPE used to protect users from minimal risk, such as minor impacts and injuries that do not cause substantial harm or irreversible damage.

Category III PPE

The highest category of personal protective equipment, mainly used for tasks that cause irreversible damage to the body, possibly endangering or costing one's life.

Cleaning Solvent IPA

Isopropyl Alcohol used to safely clean PCBs, connectors, sensors, and thermal paste because it leaves almost no water behind, though highly flammable and drying to skin.

Soldering Flux

A chemical agent that produces visible fumes during soldering, causing eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, headaches, and long-term issues like occupational asthma and bronchitis.

PCB Etching Acid

Acidic etchants commonly containing ferric chloride ($\text{FeCl}_3$) and copper chloride ($\text{CuCl}_2$) used in circuit board manufacturing.

HAZCOM

Short for Hazard Communication, comprising processes and procedures that provide clear information about potentially dangerous chemical hazards in the workplace.

Globally Harmonized System (GHS)

A worldwide system that classifies chemicals based on their hazards and provides standardized labels and safety data sheets.

Signal Words

Standardized text on chemical labels—such as Danger for more severe hazards and Warning for less severe ones—used to indicate hazard severity level.

Hazard Statements

Standardized phrases assigned to a hazard class and category that describe the specific risk or nature of the chemical's hazards.

Precautionary Statements

Phrases on chemical labels that describe recommended measures to stay safe and minimize adverse effects during handling, storage, and disposal.

Physical Hazard

Dangers related to a chemical's physical properties or environmental conditions that cause harm through physical means (e.g., heat, noise, radiation, flammability, explosions).

Health Hazard

Any substance or material that can harm a person's health, affecting skin, lungs, eyes, or internal organs through contact, inhalation, or ingestion.

Environmental Hazard

Any substance or chemical that can cause harm to the natural world, particularly disrupting ecosystems, water, soil, plants, and animals.

Labels

Written or printed matter accompanying an article to furnish identification, hazards, safe use, and storage information.

Symbol (Pictogram)

Simple visual signs or graphic symbols used to represent ideas or safety instructions quickly without words.

Flammable Signs

Hazard signs warning that a substance can easily catch fire from heat or sparks.

Explosive Signs

Hazard signs indicating that a material can blow up under pressure or heat.

Oxidizer Signs

Hazard signs stating that a chemical can make fires burn faster by providing oxygen.

Product Identification

Section of a chemical label enabling users to identify the chemical, including formula, trade name, color coding, and CAS number.

Secondary Container Labeling

The practice of applying labels to new containers when chemicals are transferred from their original supplier containers to ensure hazard warnings remain accessible.

Mobius Loop

The universal recycling symbol showing that a product or container can be recycled.

WEEE

Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment symbol indicating electronic items that should not be disposed of in regular trash.

Eco Labels

Voluntary certifications identifying products or services as environmentally friendly based on reduced ecological impact.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

A document (also known as SDS) providing detailed information about the hazards, physical/chemical properties, handling, storage, and emergency procedures for a chemical.

Mefenamic Acid

A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used for treating mild to moderate pain and inflammation, such as menstrual cramps or arthritis.

Advil

A brand name for Ibuprofen, an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for pain relief, fever reduction, and anti-inflammatory care.

Pipette

A plastic or glass tube with volume increments marked along it, used to accurately measure or transfer a volume of liquid.

Burette

A long, graduated glass tube with a stopcock at its lower end, used in quantitative chemical analysis to deliver known volumes of liquid during titrations.

Analytical Balance

A precision measuring balance enclosed inside a transparent draft shield, designed to measure small masses in the sub-milligram range.

Thermometer

A graduated glass tube containing a liquid (such as colored alcohol) that expands and rises as temperature increases, used to measure temperature.

Measuring Cylinder

Also known as a graduated cylinder, a narrow cylindrical glass or plastic container with marked lines used to measure liquid volumes.

Test Tube

A finger-like length of clear glass or plastic tubing open at the top and closed at the bottom, used to hold small amounts of material for testing.

Beaker

A cylindrical container with a flat bottom and spout, used to hold, mix, heat chemicals, or observe chemical reactions.

Volumetric Flask

A laboratory flask calibrated to contain a precise volume at a specified temperature, used for accurate solution dilutions.

Erlenmeyer Flask

A conical flask featuring a flat bottom and narrow cylindrical neck, ideal for holding, mixing, heating, boiling, and swirling liquids.

Florence Flask

A round-bodied laboratory flask with a long neck and flat bottom, designed for uniform heating, boiling, distillation, and ease of swirling.

Reagent Bottles

Glass or plastic containers topped by special caps or stoppers, intended to contain chemicals in liquid or powder form.

Vials

Small glass or plastic vessels used to contain or store small amounts of chemical substances.

Wash Bottle

A squeeze bottle with a nozzle sealed with a screw-top lid, used to rinse laboratory glassware and apparatus.

Petri Dish

A shallow, circular glass or plastic dish with a loose-fitting cover, used to hold growth medium for culturing cells or microorganisms.

Desiccator

An airtight glass container containing a desiccant at the bottom, used to protect moisture-sensitive or hygroscopic chemicals from humidity.

Lab Funnel

A conical tool with a narrow tube at the apex, used to channel liquid flow and support filtration.

Separatory Funnel

A pear-shaped glass funnel with a stopper and stopcock, used in liquid-liquid extractions to separate immiscible liquids of different densities.

Buchner Funnel

A porcelain, glass, or plastic funnel with a perforated plate or fritted disc, used with vacuum suction to separate solids from liquids.

Condenser

A circular glass tube containing an inner smaller tube through which hot gas passes while cooling water circulates around it, converting gas to liquid in distillation.

Filter Paper

A semi-permeable paper barrier placed perpendicular to liquid or airflow to separate fine solid particles.

Iron Stand

A metal rod attached to a heavy metal base, providing stable support and height adjustment for attached laboratory hardware.

Iron Ring

A metal ring extending from a rod that clamps to a stand, used to elevate and support equipment like flasks, beakers, and funnels.

Universal Clamp

A metal rod with rubber-coated jaws, used to secure apparatus at various distances from a support stand frame.

Evaporating Dish

A shallow, lipped porcelain vessel used to evaporate liquid solutions to yield concentrated solutions or solid precipitates.

Water Bath

A stainless-steel container filled with heated water, used to safely heat flasks or beakers containing volatile or flammable chemicals.

Crucible with Cover

A small ceramic dish with a lid, used to heat chemical compounds to extremely high temperatures.

Distilling Flask

A round-bottomed flask with a long neck and side arm, designed for uniform heat distribution and vapor delivery during distillation.

Bulb Aspirator

A squeezable rubber bulb used as a vacuum source to fill pipettes and control liquid flow.

Stopcock

A valve fitted on laboratory apparatus (such as burettes or separatory funnels) used to control or completely stop liquid or gas flow.

Thermodynamics

The study of heat, energy, and work, explaining how energy moves and changes from one form to another.

Electrochemistry

The study of the relationship between chemical change and electrical work.

Electrochemical Cell

A device capable of generating electrical energy from internal chemical reactions or using supplied electrical energy to facilitate chemical reactions.

Oxidation-Reduction Reaction (REDOX)

A chemical reaction characterized by the net transfer or movement of electrons from one reactant species to another.

Oxidation

The loss of electrons by a chemical species during a redox reaction, corresponding to an increase in oxidation number.

Reduction

The gain of electrons by a chemical species during a redox reaction, corresponding to a decrease in oxidation number.

Oxidizing Agent

The reactant species in a redox reaction that causes oxidation in another species by accepting or gaining electrons.

Reducing Agent

The reactant species in a redox reaction that causes reduction in another species by donating or losing electrons.

Oxidation Number (O.N.)

A value assigned to an atom in a molecule or ion using bookkeeping rules to track electron ownership and charge changes.

Redox Titration

A titration method in which a solution of known concentration of an oxidizing agent is used to determine an unknown concentration of a reducing agent, or vice versa.

Combination Redox Reaction

A reaction where two or more reactants—at least one of which is an element—combine to form a single compound.

Decomposition Redox Reaction

A reaction where a compound absorbs energy and breaks down into two or more products, at least one of which is an element.

Thermal Decomposition

A decomposition reaction in which the energy absorbed to break chemical bonds is supplied as heat.

Electrolytic Decomposition

A decomposition reaction in which a compound absorbs electrical energy to decompose into its constituent elements.

Displacement Redox Reaction

A reaction in which atoms or ions exchange places, where an uncombined element displaces another element in a compound.

Combustion Reaction

A redox process involving a substance combining with elemental oxygen, releasing heat and producing light.