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Alder, Kurt

(Encyclopedia)Alder, Kurt älˈdər [key], 1902–58, German chemist, educated at Berlin and at Kiel. He was on the research staff of the Bayer Dye Works (1936–40) before becoming (1940) professor of chemistry an...

hydrolysis

(Encyclopedia)hydrolysis hīdrŏlˈĭsĭs [key], chemical reaction of a compound with water, usually resulting in the formation of one or more new compounds. The most common hydrolysis occurs when a salt of a weak ...

formula weight

(Encyclopedia)formula weight, in chemistry, a quantity computed by multiplying the atomic weight (in atomic mass units) of each element in a formula by the number of atoms of that element present in the formula, an...

coagulation

(Encyclopedia)coagulation kōăgˌyo͞olāˈshən [key], the collecting into a mass of minute particles of a solid dispersed throughout a liquid (a sol), usually followed by the precipitation or separation of the s...

Haber process

(Encyclopedia)Haber process häˈbər [key], commercial process for the synthesis of ammonia, NH3. Pure hydrogen and nitrogen gases are mixed in the appropriate proportion, heated to between 450℃ and 600℃, comp...

silver nitrate

(Encyclopedia)silver nitrate nīˈtrāt [key], chemical compound, AgNO3, a colorless crystalline material that is very soluble in water. The most important compound of silver, it is used in the preparation of silve...

photochemistry

(Encyclopedia)photochemistry, study of chemical processes that are accompanied by or catalyzed by the emission or absorption of visible light or ultraviolet radiation. A molecule in its ground (unexcited) state can...

oxidation and reduction

(Encyclopedia)oxidation and reduction, complementary chemical reactions characterized by the loss or gain, respectively, of one or more electrons by an atom or molecule. Originally the term oxidation was used to re...

hydrogen chloride

(Encyclopedia)hydrogen chloride, chemical compound, HCl, a colorless, poisonous gas with an unpleasant, acrid odor. It is very soluble in water and readily soluble in alcohol and ether. It fumes in moist air. It is...

neutralization

(Encyclopedia)neutralization, chemical reaction, according to the Arrhenius theory of acids and bases, in which a water solution of acid is mixed with a water solution of base to form a salt and water; this reactio...