Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

186 results found

alumina

(Encyclopedia)alumina əlo͞oˈmĭnə [key] or aluminum oxide, Al2O3, chemical compound with m.p. about 2,000℃ and sp. gr. about 4.0. It is insoluble in water and organic liquids and very slightly soluble in stro...

indium

(Encyclopedia)indium ĭnˈdēəm [key], a metallic chemical element; symbol In; at. no. 49; at. wt. 114.818; m.p. 156.6℃; b.p. about 2,080℃; sp. gr. 7.31 at 20℃; valence +1, +2, or +3. Indium is a soft, malle...

aqua regia

(Encyclopedia)aqua regia rēˈjēə [key] [Lat.,=royal water], corrosive, fuming yellow liquid prepared by mixing one volume of concentrated nitric acid with three to four volumes of concentrated hydrochloric acid....

tantalum

(Encyclopedia)tantalum tănˈtələm [key] [from Tantalus], metallic chemical element; symbol Ta; at. no. 73; at. wt. 180.94788; m.p. 2,996℃; b.p. 5,400±100℃; sp. gr. 16.65 at 20℃; valence +2, +3, +4, or +5....

cadmium

(Encyclopedia)cadmium kădˈmēəm [key] [from cadmia, Lat. for calamine, with which cadmium is found associated], metallic chemical element; symbol Cd; at. no. 48; at. wt. 112.411; m.p. 321℃; b.p. 765℃; sp. gr...

bismuth

(Encyclopedia)bismuth bĭzˈməth [key] [Ger. Weisse Masse=white mass], metallic chemical element; symbol Bi; at. no. 83; at. wt. 208.98040; m.p. 271.3℃; b.p. about 1,560℃; sp. gr. 9.75 at 20℃; valence +3 or ...

cement

(Encyclopedia)cement, binding material used in construction and engineering, often called hydraulic cement, typically made by heating a mixture of limestone and clay until it almost fuses and then grinding it to a ...

transistor

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Simple transistor circuit transistor, three-terminal, solid-state electronic device used for amplification and switching. It is the solid-state analog to the triode electron tube; the transist...

electrolysis

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Electrolysis: In a typical reaction electrodes are placed in a solution of hydrogen chloride, HCl, which contains both hydrogen and chlorine ions. The battery removes electrons from the anode, ...

neodymium

(Encyclopedia)neodymium nēˌōdĭmˈēəm [key], metallic chemical element; symbol Nd; at. no. 60; at. wt. 144.242; m.p. about 1,021℃; b.p. about 3,068℃; sp. gr. 7.004 at 20℃; valence +3. Neodymium is a lust...