Chemistry Dictionary Terminology "N"

Chemistry Dictionary

Terminology "N"

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Native State

Refers to the occurrence of an element in an uncombined or free state in nature.

Natural Radioactivity

Spontaneous decomposition of an atom.

Nernst Equation

Corrects standard electrode potentials for nonstandard conditions.

Net Ionic Equation

Equation that results from canceling spectator ions and eliminating brackets from a total ionic equation.

Neutralization

The reaction of an acid with a base to form a salt and water. Usually, the reaction of hydrogen ions with hydrogen ions to form water molecules.

Neutron

A neutral subatomic particle having a mass of 1.0087 amu.

Nickel-cadmium cell (Nicad battery)

A dry cell in which the anode is Cd, the cathode is NiO2, and the electrolyte is basic.

Nitrogenases

A class of enzymes found in bacteria within root nodules in some plants, which catalyze reactions by which N2 molecules from the air are converted to ammonia.

For more information see Enzymes

Nitrogen Cycle

The complex series of reactions by which nitrogen is slowly but continually recycled in the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.

Noble Gases (Rare Gases)

Elements of the periodic Group 0; also called rare gases; formerly called inert gases, He,Ne,Ar, Kr, Xe, Rn.

Nodal Plane

A region in which the probability of finding an electron is zero.

Nonbonding Orbital

A molecular orbital derived only from an atomic orbital of one atom; lends neither stability nor instability to a molecule or ion when populated with electrons.

Nonelectrolyte

A substance whose aqueous solutions do not conduct electricity.

Nonpolar Bond

Covalent bond in which electron density is symmetrically distributed

Nuclear Binding Energy

Energy equivalent of the mass deficiency; energy released in the formation of an atom from the subatomic particles.

Nuclear Fission

The process in which a heavy nucleus splits into nuclei of intermediate masses and one or more protons are emitted.

Nuclear Reaction

Involves a change in the composition of a nucleus and can evolve or absorb an extraordinarily large amount of energy

Nuclear Reactor

A system in which controlled nuclear fisson reactions generate heat energy on a large scale, which is subsequently converted into electrical energy.

Nucleons

Particles comprising the nucleus; protons and neutrons.

Nucleus

The very small, very dense, positively charged center of an atom containing protons and neutrons, as well as other subatomic particles.

Nuclides

Refers to different atomic forms of all elements in contrast to ?isotopes?, which refer only to different atomic forms of a single element.

Nuclide Symbol

Symbol for an atom A/Z E, in which E is the symbol of an element, Z is its atomic number, and A is its mass number.