Materials Glossary (3.11-3.19)

Vocabulary flashcards covering organic chemistry terms, hydrocarbon classification, naming conventions, combustion, and polymer science.

Hydrocarbon

An organic compound made up of only carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Inorganic compound

A substance that does not contain carbon-hydrogen bonds.

Organic chemistry

The study of carbon-containing compounds.

Organic compound

A substance that contains carbon, commonly bonded to hydrogen.

Alkane

A hydrocarbon containing only single covalent bonds.

Alkene

A hydrocarbon containing a double covalent bond.

Functional group

An atom, a group of atoms or a specific feature that is responsible for the chemical properties of a compound.

General formula

A formula that represents the atomic composition of members of a class of compounds.

Homologous series

A class of compounds with the same functional group and whose members differ by $-CH_2-$.

Saturated compound

A compound with only single covalent carbon-carbon bonds.

Unsaturated compound

A compound with at least one double or triple carbon-carbon bond.

Viscosity

The resistance of a substance to flow or change of shape; high viscosity = low ability to flow (thick).

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Locant

A number that indicates the carbon where certain parts of an organic compound are positioned.

Prefix

Letters or numbers placed before the stem of the word.

Skeletal formula

A shorthand way to represent organic compounds, using only lines and symbols for elements other than carbon and hydrogen.

Stem

The word in the name of an organic compound that indicates the number of carbons in the longest chain.

Structural formula

A representation of a compound that shows the structural arrangement of atoms.

Suffix

A word or letters placed after the stem of the word.

Asphalt

A mixture of gravel, sand and bitumen, used for roads.

Bitumen

The heaviest fraction of crude oil, left over after fractional distillation.

Condense

To change from a gas to a liquid state.

Feedstock

A chemical used to support large-scale chemical reactions, usually in industry.

Fraction

A part of a larger mixture of many parts.

Fractional distillation

The separation of a mixture into different parts or fractions, according to their different boiling points.

Fractionating column

A vertical cylinder that decreases in temperature up the column, condensing and separating substances just below their boiling points.

Biofuel

A fuel derived from biomass such as plants and animal waste, rather than from fossil fuels.

Combustion

A reaction that involves burning in the presence of oxygen to release heat.

Exothermic

A reaction that releases energy into the surroundings, causing the temperature to rise.

Soot

A black form of carbon formed by incomplete combustion.

Addition polymerisation

A reaction in which alkenes join together at the carbon-carbon double bond to form organic polymers.

Monomer

A small molecule that bonds together in a repeating pattern to form large polymers.

Polyethylene

The common name for the most widely used plastic; IUPAC name 'polyethene'.

Polymer

A long-chain molecule (usually carbon-based) made up of many small repeating units.

Polymerisation

A reaction in which monomers combine chemically to form long-chain molecules.

Synthesise

Make something new by combining smaller parts.

Synthetic

Made by humans by non-natural methods.

Biodegradable

Can be broken down (e.g. by bacteria).

Cross-links

Chemical bonds that join polymer chains to one another.

Inert

Chemically unreactive.

Plasticise

To soften a polymer by adding lubricating chemicals, resulting in a more flexible polymer.

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride.

Thermoset

A polymer with cross-links; chars when heated instead of melting.

Vulcanised rubber

Synthetic rubber that has been modified from its natural form to include cross-links.

Bioaccumulation

The build-up of chemicals such as microplastics in the tissues of living organisms.

Biomagnification

Increasing concentrations of chemical toxins in organisms up the food chain.

Microbeads

A type of microplastic with a specific function for scrubbing or exfoliating.

Microplastics

Tiny plastic particles from the physical breakdown of larger plastics.

Bioplastic

A plastic made from a biological material.

PLA

Polylactic acid; a bioplastic polymer made from corn or sugar.