Basic Names and Compound Chemical Terminology

Basic Names and Compound Chemical TerminologyTo be fair, some of the basic names of chemical compounds don't really have any meaning themselves. That said, there are a number of chemicals that may sound a bit odd if you're new to the topic. Here's a rundown of a few popular terms that you might want to pay attention to when you learn more about chemistry. You might not want to memorize the chemical suffixes and prefixes, but they can definitely help you understand what's going on.Here's the first one, with the word organics. Organics refers to a compound that has no of the basic elements and substances that make up the rest of the compound. In the context of chemistry, it refers to the mixtures of two or more compounds that are often not compatible.Diatomaceous earth is another compound that can be confusing. It's an old term that means 'cake of the sea.' It refers to the old method of making glass by taking calcium carbonate and baking it under the sea water. This type of glass has a very blue color.prefixes and suffixes are a little more confusing, but in many cases they're used to emphasize what element a compound is made up of. If you're new to chemistry, then you should always try to look at the end of the chemical symbol to be sure that it describes what the compound is made up of. Otherwise, you'll get an entirely different definition that you didn't realize was there.Many of the chemical names you see in books will have no actual diazonium iodide prefix and suffix. It's because the name 'iodide' doesn't really make sense. It stands for 'Isotope designation.' You're getting your element number, but the actual name will actually be 'isotope' rather than 'iodide.'Chemical reactions can cause big changes in these things called atoms. The term atom is usually used for chemical compounds that have less than 10 atoms. In the context of chemistry, though, the term atom is often used to refer to a group of atoms that is roughly the same size. In this case, the n umber of atoms would depend on the type of compound being analyzed.Chemistry, like many other subjects, can be extremely intimidating. Take the time to study the chemical names and prefixes and suffixes. You won't regret it.