Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
LANGUAGE OF CHEMISTRY
Chemical naming (nomenclature)
Systematic
(American Chemical Society)
Common (historical)
“Nickname” (acronyms and trade names)
Relationship of names to chemical structure
Properties (chemical, physical)
Chemical formulae (chemical shorthand)
Pronunciation
Chemical Abstracts
To be knowledgeable in chemistry, one must be familiar with its language.
This language includes the naming of chemicals, both systematic and com-
mon names, and the names and definitions of significant chemical and
physical properties. The relationship of chemical names to chemical struc-
tures and formulae is also important. And, just as with any language, if one
is to talk chemistry, it helps to be able to pronounce the names and other
terms. Many of the terms and names needed to understand chemical “lan-
guage” are introduced and defined throughout this topic.
A major part in the language of chemistry is in learning the names of
the chemicals (nomenclature). Many chemicals, particularly the more com-
mon ones, are known by several different names. For example, the chemical
CH
CH
OH has the systematic name “ethanol.” The publication
Chemical
3
2
Abstracts
(American Chemical Society) also uses the name “ethanol.” The
historical or common name is “ethyl alcohol” or “grain alcohol.” A “nick-
name” for it is just “alcohol,” and there are various tradenames, depending
on the manufacturer. For example, the Eastman Company sells it under the
name of Tecsol
®
. Even trained chemists have trouble with nomenclature,
which makes the use of and need for written chemical formulae common
among chemists.
