Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

233 results found

butyric acid

(Encyclopedia)butyric acid byo͞otənōˈĭk [key], CH3CH2CH2CO2H, viscous, foul-smelling, liquid carboxylic acid; m.p. about −5℃; b.p. 163.5℃. It is miscible with water, ethanol, and ether. It is a low molec...

polyethylene

(Encyclopedia)polyethylene pŏlˌēĕthˈəlēn [key], widely used plastic. It is a polymer of ethylene, CH2=CH2, having the formula (–CH2–CH2–)n, and is produced at high pressures and temperatures in the pre...

White Lotus Rebellion

(Encyclopedia)White Lotus Rebellion, Chinese anti-Manchu uprising that occurred during the Ch'ing dynasty. It broke out (1796) among impoverished settlers in the mountainous region that separates Sichuan prov. from...

Chinese music

(Encyclopedia)Chinese music, the classical music forms of China. Throughout the political and social turmoil following World War I, Western (classical and popular) and Japanese sources dominated Chinese music. At...

Liang Ch'i-ch'ao

(Encyclopedia)Liang Ch'i-ch'ao lyäng chē-chou [key], 1873–1929, Chinese reform leader. Liang was a disciple of K'ang Yu-wei. Stunned by China's disastrous defeat by Japan (see Sino-Japanese War, First), K'ang a...

butadiene

(Encyclopedia)butadiene byo͞otˌədīˈēn [key], colorless, gaseous hydrocarbon. There are two structural isomers of butadiene; they differ in the location of the two carbon-carbon double bonds in the butadiene m...

saturation, of an organic compound

(Encyclopedia)saturation, of an organic compound, condition occurring when its molecules contain no double or triple bonds and thus cannot undergo addition reactions. For example, ethane (H3C–CH3) is a saturated ...

vinyl plastics

(Encyclopedia)vinyl plastics, group of thermoplastics used in molded products, flexible tubing, material for raincoats, and laminated safety glass. Vinyl plastics are polymers and copolymers of vinyl derivatives (i...

chelating agents

(Encyclopedia)chelating agents kēˈlātĭng [key]. Certain organic compounds are capable of forming coordinate bonds (see chemical bond) with metals through two or more atoms of the organic compound; such organic ...

verdigris

(Encyclopedia)verdigris vûrˈdəgrēsˌ [key], one of three copper acetates: blue verdigris, Cu(CH3COO)2·CuO·6H2O; green verdigris, 2Cu(CH3COO)2·CuO·6H2O; or neutral verdigris, Cu(CH3COO)2·H2O; or a mixture o...