Discovered: known in India and China before 1500 and to the Greeks and Romans before 20 BC as the copper-zinc alloy brass
Origin: The name is derived from the German ‘Zink’.
Atomic no: 30
Mass No: 65
Description: A grey metal with a blue tinge. World production exceeds 7 million tons a year, and it is used to galvanise iron to prevent it rusting. It is also employed in alloys and batteries, and as zinc oxide to stabilise rubber and plastics. Zinc is essential for all living things, and is important for growth and development. The average human body contains about 2.5 grams and takes in about 15 milligrams per day. Some foods have above average levels of zinc, including herring, beef, lamb, sunflower seeds and cheese.
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Standard Electrode Potential
By convention, potential, Eo, of a half-reaction as a reduction relative to the standard hydrogen electrode when all species are present at unit activity.
Net Ionic Equation
Equation that results from canceling spectator ions and eliminating brackets from a total ionic equation.
Enantiomer
One of the two mirror-image forms of an optically active molecule.
Reactants
Substances consumed in a chemical reaction.
Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)
A technique for observing the temperature, direction, and magnitude of thermally induced transitions in a material by heating/cooling a sample and comparing its temperature with that of an inert reference material under similar conditions.
Amine
Derivatives of ammonia in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by organic groups.
Electronegativity
A measure of the relative tendency of an atom to attract electrons to itself when chemically combined with another atom.
Bronsted-Lowry Base
A proton acceptor
Acid
A substance that produces H+(aq) ions in aqueous solution. Strong acids ionize completely or almost completely in dilute aqueous solution. Weak acids ionize only slightly. Chemicals or substances having the property of an acid are said to be acidic.
Natural Radioactivity
Spontaneous decomposition of an atom.
