tion of a species that is a potential proton acceptor, or a
In an elec
conjugate base of the parent acid.
Buffer capacity The number of moles of strong acid (or
strong base) needed to alter the pH of 1.00 L of a buffer
solution by 1.00 unit.
Buffer solutions Solutions that tend to resist changes in
pH as the result of dilution or the addition of small
amounts of acids or bases.
Bumping The sudden and often violent boiling of a liq
uid that results from local overheating.
Buoyancy The displacement of the medium (ordinarily
air) by an object, thus producing an apparent loss of mass;
a significant source of error when the densities of the ob
ject and the comparison standards (weights) differ.
Buret A graduated tube from which accurately known
volumes can be dispensed.
Calomel The compound Hg2Cl2.
Calomel electrode A versatile reference electrode
based on the half-reaction Hg2Cl->(s) + 2e <>
2Hg(l) + 2C1-.
Capillary column A small-diameter chromatographic
column for GLC, fabricated of metal, glass, or fused sil
ica. The stationary phase is a thin coating of liquid on the
interior wall of the tube.
Capillary electrophoresis High-speed, nigh-resolution
electrophoresis performed in capillary tubes.
Carbonate error A systematic error caused by absorp
tion of carbon dioxide by standard solutions of base that
will be used in the titration of weak acids.
Carrier gas The mobile phase for gas-liquid chro
matography.
Catalytic reaction A reaction whose progress toward
the equilibrium state is hastened by a substance that is not
consumed in the overall process.
Cathode The electrode in an electrochemical cell at
which reduction takes place.
Cathode depolarizer A substance that is more easily
reduced than hydrogen ion; used to prevent codeposition
of hydrogen during an electrolysis.
Cation exchange resins High-molecular-weight poly
mers to which acidic groups are bonded; these resins per
mit the substitution of cations in solution for hydrogen
ions from the exchanger.
Cell A term with several meanings. In statistics, the
combination of adjacent data for display in a histogram.
In electrochemistry, an array consisting of a pair of elec
trodes immersed in solutions that are in electrical contact;
the electrodes are connected externally by a metallic con
ductor. In spectroscopy, the container that holds the sam-
ple in the light path of an optical instrument.
tronic balance, a system of constraints that assure align
ment of the pan.
Cells without liquid junction Electrochemical cells in
which both electrodes are immersed in a common elec
trolyte solution.
Charge-balance equation An expression relating the
concentrations of anions and cations based on charge neu
trality in a given solution.
Charge-coupled device (CCD) A solid-state two-
dimensional detector array used for spectroscopy and
imaging.
Charge injection device (CID) A solid-state photode-
tector array used in spectroscopy.
Charge transfer complexes Complexes that are made
up of an electron donor group and an electron acceptor
group. Absorption of radiation by these complexes involves
a transfer of electrons from the donor to the acceptor
Chelating agents Substances with multiple sites avail
able for coordination bonding with metal ions. Such
bonding typically results in the formation of five- or six
membered rings.
Chelation The reaction between a metal ion and
chelating reagent.
Chemical deviations from Beers law Deviations from
Beers law that result from association or dissociation Of
the absorbing species or reaction with the solvent that; pro
duce a product that absorbs differently from the analyte.
Chemical equilibrium A dynamic state in which the
rates of forward and reverse processes are identical. A
system in equilibrium will not spontaneously depart from
this condition.
Chemiluminescence The emission of energy as electro
magnetic radiation during a chemical reaction.
Chopper A mechanical device that alternately transmits
and blocks radiation from a source.
Chromatogram A plot of an analyte concentration sig
nal as a function of elution time or elution volume.
Chromatographic bands The distribution (ideally
Gaussian) of the concentration of eluted species about a
central value; the result of variations in the time an ana
lyte species resides in the mobile phase.
Chromatographic zones Synonymous with chromato
graphic bands.
Chromatography A term for methods of separation
based on the partition of analyte species between a sta
tionary phase and a mobile phase.
Clark oxygen sensor A voltammetric sensor lot d is
solved oxygen.
Coagulation The process whereby particles with col-