Gadolinium
Gadolinium is a silvery-white rare earth metal, atomic number 64. Has the highest thermal neutron absorption cross-section of any stable element. Paramagnetic at room temperature w…
Chemical Glossary — Letter G
24 chemicals found starting with "G"
Gallium
Gallium is a soft, silvery metal, atomic number 31. Famous for melting just above room temperature (29.8 C) - it melts in the palm of your hand. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium…
Galvanic Cell
An electrochemical cell that converts chemical energy from a spontaneous redox reaction into electrical energy. Also called a voltaic cell. Consists of two half-cells connected by …
Galvanizing
The process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron to prevent rusting. Hot-dip galvanizing immerses the metal in molten zinc. Electrogalvanizing uses electrodeposit…
Gamma Radiation
High-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted from the nucleus of a radioactive atom during nuclear decay. Gamma rays have very short wavelengths (
Gamma Ray
Gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic radiation emitted by atomic nuclei during radioactive decay or nuclear reactions, having no mass and no charge. They have the highest ene…
Gangue
Gangue is the commercially worthless material that surrounds, or is closely mixed with, a wanted mineral in an ore deposit. It must be separated from the ore mineral during mining …
Gas
One of the fundamental states of matter characterized by molecules moving freely with weak intermolecular forces. Gases expand to fill their containers, are highly compressible, an…
Gay-Lussac's Law
The law stating that the pressure of a fixed amount of gas at constant volume is directly proportional to its absolute temperature (P ∝ T). Also refers to the law of combining volu…
Geiger Counter
A Geiger counter (Geiger-Müller counter) is an instrument for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation. It consists of a gas-filled tube (usually helium, neon, or argon with a ha…
Gel
A colloid in which a liquid is dispersed within a solid or semi-solid matrix, forming a jelly-like substance. Gels have properties between a solid and a liquid. Examples include ge…
Gem-Dimethyl Group
A gem-dimethyl group (geminal dimethyl group) consists of two methyl groups attached to the same carbon atom. The prefix "gem" comes from the Latin "geminus" meaning twin. This str…
Geometrical Isomers
Geometrical isomers (also called cis-trans isomers or E/Z isomers) are stereoisomers that differ in the spatial arrangement of substituents around a double bond or ring system. In …
Germanium
Germanium is a lustrous, hard metalloid, atomic number 32. Its existence was predicted by Mendeleev (as eka-silicon) before its discovery in 1886. Important semiconductor material …
Gibbs Free Energy
A thermodynamic state function (G) that predicts the spontaneity of a process at constant temperature and pressure: ΔG = ΔH - TΔS. A negative ΔG indicates a spontaneous process; po…
Gold
Gold is a bright, dense, malleable precious metal, atomic number 79. The most malleable and ductile pure metal. Chemically unreactive - resists corrosion and oxidation. Used as cur…
Graham's Law
Graham's law of effusion states that the rate of effusion (or diffusion) of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass. Mathematically, rate₁/rate₂ = √(M₂…
Graham's Law
Graham's law of effusion states that the rate of effusion or diffusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass. Lighter gases diffuse faster than he…
Gravimetric Analysis
A quantitative analytical method that determines the amount of a substance by measuring mass. A component is separated from a sample (usually by precipitation) and weighed precisel…
Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is the process by which greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, warming the planet's surface. Without any greenhouse eff…
Ground State
The ground state is the lowest energy state of an atom, molecule, or quantum mechanical system. In the ground state, electrons occupy the lowest available orbitals according to the…
Ground State
The lowest energy state of an atom, ion, or molecule in which all electrons occupy the lowest available energy levels. Ground state configurations follow the Aufbau principle, Hund…
Group
In the periodic table, a group (or family) is a vertical column containing elements with the same number of valence electrons and similar chemical properties. There are 18 groups i…
Group
A vertical column in the periodic table. Elements in the same group have the same number of valence electrons, similar electron configurations, and similar chemical properties. Gro…
About Chemicals Starting With G
This page lists all chemicals in our database beginning with the letter G. Each entry provides the chemical formula, CAS registry number, physical and chemical properties, common uses, and safety information. Use the alphabetical navigation above to browse other letters, or use the search function to find a specific chemical quickly.
Our chemical glossary covers acids, bases, salts, organic compounds, inorganic compounds, solvents, and many more categories. Click on any chemical name to view its full detailed profile.