Encyclopedia Of Chemistry (science Encyclopedia)

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF chemistry don rittner and ronald A. Bailey, Ph.D. To Nancy, Christopher, Kevin, Jackson, Jennifer, and Jason Encyclopedia of Chemistry Copyright © 2005 by Don Rittner All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rittner, Don. Encyclopedia of chemistry / Don Rittner and Ronald A. Bailey. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8160-4894-0 1. Chemistry—Encyclopedias. I. Bailey, R. A. (Ronald Albert), 1933 – II. Title. QD4.R57 2005 540′.3—dc22 2004011242 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com. Text design by Joan M. Toro Cover design by Cathy Rincon Illustrations by Richard Garratt Printed in the United States of America VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. CONTENTS Acknowledgments v Preface vii Introduction ix A-to-Z Entries 1 Feature Essays: “The Power of Chemistry: Natural versus Synthetic Compounds” by Theresa Beaty, Ph.D. 57 “What a Crime Lab Does, It Does with Chemistry” by Harry K. Garber 81 “Molecular Modeling” by Karl F. Moschner, Ph.D. 183 “The Role of Chemistry” by Karl F. Moschner, Ph.D. 248 Appendixes: Appendix I Bibliography 289 Appendix II Chemistry-Related Web Sites 311 Appendix III Chemistry Software Sources 313 Appendix IV Nobel Laureates Relating to Chemistry 315 Appendix V Periodic Table of Elements 321 Appendix VI Chemical Reaction Types 323 Appendix VII Metals and Alloys 325 Index 326 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following for their generosity in helping to make this book as complete as possible, especially in the use of images, biographies, definitions, essays, and encouragement: Kristina Fallenias, Nobel Foundation; Fabienne Meyers, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; Daryl Leja, NHGRI, and National Institutes of Health; essayists Harry K. Garber, Karl F. Moschner, and Theresa Beaty; the many chemistry Webmasters; and Nancy, Chris, Kevin, Jack, Jennifer, and Jason. I also wish to thank Frank K. Darmstadt, executive editor, Sara Hov and Melissa Cullen-DuPont, editorial assistants, and the rest of the staff at Facts On File, Inc., and my colleague Ron Bailey. I apologize to anyone left out due to error. v PREFACE Students beginning their study of chemistry are faced with understanding many terms that are puzzling and unrelated to contexts that make them understandable. Others may seem familiar, but in chemistry they have meanings that are not quite the same as when used in popular discourse. In science, terms need to have definite and specific meanings. One of the purposes of the Encyclopedia of Chemistry is to provide definitions for many of these terms in a manner and at a level that will make their meanings clear to those with limited backgrounds in chemistry, and to those