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gunpowder

(Encyclopedia)gunpowder, explosive mixture; its most common formula, called “black powder,” is a combination of saltpeter, sulfur, and carbon in the form of charcoal. Historically, the relative amounts of the c...

Corey, Elias James

(Encyclopedia)Corey, Elias James, 1928–, American organic chemist and educator, b. Methuen, Mass., grad. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S. 1948, Ph.D. 1951). He has taught at the Univ. of Illinois (1951...

incantation

(Encyclopedia)incantation, set formula, spoken or sung, for the purpose of working magic. An incantation is normally an invocation to beneficent supernatural spirits for aid, protection, or inspiration. It may also...

iodoform

(Encyclopedia)iodoform īōˈdəfôrmˌ [key], CHI3, yellow crystalline solid that has a penetrating odor. It melts at 119℃ and is insoluble in water but soluble in ether or ethanol. Iodoform was formerly used as...

binomial

(Encyclopedia)binomial bīˌnōˈmēəl [key], polynomial expression (see polynomial) containing two terms, for example, x+y. The binomial theorem, or binomial formula, gives the expansion of the nth power of a bin...

Hare, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Hare, Robert, 1781–1858, American chemist, b. Philadelphia. He was professor of chemistry (1819–47) at the medical college of the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Hare made important contributions to early ...

List, Benjamin

(Encyclopedia)List, Benjamin, 1968–, b. Frankfurt, Germany. German chemist, Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research and Professor of organic...

Black, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Black, Joseph, 1728–99, Scottish chemist and physician, b. France. He was professor of chemistry at Glasgow (1756–66) and from 1766 at Edinburgh. He is best known for his theories of latent heat a...

Ernst, Richard Robert

(Encyclopedia)Ernst, Richard Robert 1933–2021, Swiss chemist, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich; B.S., 1956, Ph.D., 1962). He worked as a res...

Hosius

(Encyclopedia)Hosius hōˈzhēəs [key], c.255–c.358, Spanish prelate, bishop of Córdoba, leader against Arianism. He presided at the Council of Nicaea (325) and is credited by Athanasius with having authored th...