30Jan 2017 by Vincent Summers No Comments

The Difference Between Alkanes, Alkenes, and Alkynes

Chemistry, Education
[caption id="attachment_16044" align="alignright" width="440"] An acetylene (ethyne) torch.[/caption] Alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes are made up of carbon and hydrogen. The carbon atoms in each exhibit a valency of four.  Though these three hydrocarbon varieties are similar, there is a difference in bonding. We illustrate this with the simplest example: ethane vs. ethene vs. ethyne. Common and Scientific Names Common names are names given to many compounds, but they may mislead the uninitiated. For instance, the scientific names of alkenes contain the suffix –en(e) as part of their name. But acetylene is not an alkene. It is an alkyne. The scientific names of alkynes contains the suffix –yne. Acetylene is scientifically named ethyne. Yet, it nomenclature is not the only difference between alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. Alkanes Alkanes are completely saturated…
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14Aug 2013 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Mineral Acids – Common Oxy Acid Terminology

Chemistry
As a youngster, I decided to become a chemist when I grew up. And that is how it turned out. To become acquainted with my chosen profession, I had to learn its naming systems or nomenclature. This included the naming of common mineral acids. So called mineral acids contain hydrogen, at least one additional element (often from the right hand side of the periodic table), and varying amounts of oxygen. Mineral Acids with No Oxygen If no oxygen is present, the acid name usually employs the prefix hydro– and the suffix –ic. Thus HCl is named hydrochloric acid.¹ HBr is hydrobromic acid. Some other examples include hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), hydrogen iodide (HI), and hydrogen telluride (H₂Te). A little confusion arises when the element has a valence greater than -2, as…
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