Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

potassium chloride

(Encyclopedia)potassium chloride, chemical compound, KCl, a colorless or white, cubic, crystalline compound that closely resembles common salt (sodium chloride). It is soluble in water, alcohol, and alkalies. Potas...

hydrogen peroxide

(Encyclopedia)hydrogen peroxide, chemical compound, H2O2, a colorless, syrupy liquid that is a strong oxidizing agent and, in water solution, a weak acid. It is miscible with cold water and is soluble in alcohol an...

Grignard reagent

(Encyclopedia)Grignard reagent grēnyärdˈ rēāˈjənt [key], any of an important class of extremely reactive chemical compounds used in the synthesis of hydrocarbons, alcohols, carboxylic acids, and other compou...

sulfide

(Encyclopedia)sulfide, chemical compound containing sulfur and one other element or sulfur and a radical. Sulfides may be salts or esters of hydrogen sulfide, H2S, or may be formed directly, e.g., by heating a meta...

synapse

(Encyclopedia)synapse sĭnˈăps [key], junction between various signal-transmitter cells, either between two neurons or between a neuron and a muscle or gland. A nerve impulse reaches the synapse through the axon,...

biophysics

(Encyclopedia)biophysics, application of various methods and principles of physical science to the study of biological problems. In physiological biophysics physical mechanisms have been used to explain such biolog...

borax

(Encyclopedia)borax or sodium tetraborate decahydrate sōˈdēəm tĕˌtrəbôrˈāt dĕkˌəhīˈdrāt [key], chemical compound, Na2B4O7·10H2O; sp. gr. 1.73; slightly soluble in cold water; very soluble in hot wa...

wave, in physics

(Encyclopedia)wave, in physics, the transfer of energy by the regular vibration, or oscillatory motion, either of some material medium or by the variation in magnitude of the field vectors of an electromagnetic fie...

Miyako

(Encyclopedia)Miyako mēyäˈkō [key], city (1990 pop. 58,505), Iwate prefecture, NE Honshu, Japan, on the Hei River and Miyako Bay. It is an important fishing port with large timber and chemical industries. The c...

Maizuru

(Encyclopedia)Maizuru mīˈzo͞oro͞o [key], city (1990 pop. 96,333), Kyoto prefecture, SW Honshu, Japan, on Maizuru Bay. It is an important port and naval base with the best natural harbor on the Japan Sea coast. ...