English_for_Chemists

Fill the following schemes with suitable expressions. What are their Slovak equivalents?

funnel filter paper mixture residue glass rod filtrate

Filtration

Adapted from: http://library.thinkquest.org/11430/research/filtration.htm

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are - on Earth, on the moon, floating in space. But your ________depends on how much gravity is acting on you at the moment. You would __________ less on the moon than on Earth,

2.Identify the nouns in these sentences.

3.Which of the nouns are countable and which uncountable?

4. Here are some rules about using countable and uncountable words. Write C, if they are true for countable and U for uncountable words.

______ are also called mass nouns

______ can be both singular and plural.

______ have only one form e.g. rice.

______ can be used alone – without articles.

______ must be used with articles – a/ an or the.

______ are used with much and little

______ are used with many and few

Alchemy

1.What is alchemy? What is the difference between alchemy and modern science?

2.Have you ever read a book or seen a film that dealt with alchemy?

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3.Are there any famous alchemists you know?

4.Read the following article. What do the words in bold mean?

5.What is the meaning of the expressions in italics?

Alchemy in the Middle Ages was a mixture of science, philosophy and mysticism. At the heart of medieval alchemy was the idea that all matter was composed of four elements: earth, air, fire and water. With the right combination of elements, any substance on earth might be formed. This included precious metals as well as elixirs to cure disease and prolong life. Alchemists believed that the "transmutation" of one substance into another was possible; thus we have the clichéof medieval alchemists seeking to "turn lead into gold."

Goals:

∙To find the "philosopher's stone," an elusive substance that was believed to make possible the creation of an elixir of immortality and the transmutation of common substances into gold.

∙In the later Middle Ages, to use alchemy as a tool in the advancement of medicine.

Achievements:

∙Medieval alchemists produced hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, potash and sodium carbonate.

∙They were able to identify the elements arsenic, antimony, and bismuth.

∙Through their experiments, medieval alchemists invented and developed laboratory devices and procedures that are, in modified form, still used today.

∙The practice of alchemy laid the foundation for the development of chemistry as a scientific discipline.

Adapted from: http://historymedren.about.com/od/alchemy/p/alchemy.htm

6. Were the goals of alchemy achieved?

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7. What are the goals of modern chemistry?

There were often many symbols for an element. For a time, the astronomical symbols of the planets were used to denote the elements. However, as alchemists came to be persecuted, particularly in medieval times, secret symbols were invented. This led to a great deal of confusion, so you will find some overlap of symbols. The symbols were in common use through the 17th century; some are still in use today.

8. Look at the following symbols that alchemists used. Can you guess which elements they symbolize? One element can have several symbols.

copper tin mercury gold silver air earth fire iron salt

Adapted from: http://chemistry.about.com/od/periodictableelements/ig/AlchemySymbols/index_t.htm

9.What was the meaning of the word ‘element’ in th e Middle Ages? Is it different now?

10.What symbols do we use for elements today?

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Exercises:

Exercise 1 Use these words in the sentences. Make sure you know the difference between the uncountable and countable meanings.

1.She has dark _____________ - just like her mother.

2.There’s ______________ in my soup!

3.Did you buy _______________ today?

4.All the models in the exhibition were made of ________________.

5.____________ was the cause of all their family problems.

6.May I invite you for __________________?

Exercise 2 Which of the underlined parts of these sentences are correct?

1.I thought there was somebody in the house because there was light/ a light on inside.

2.Light/ a light comes from the sun.

3.I was in a hurry this morning. I didn’t have time/ a time for breakfast.

4.“Did you have a good vacation?” “Yes, we had w onderful time/ a wonderful time.

5.Sue was very helpful. She gave me some very useful advice/ advices.

6.I had to buy a/ some bread because I wanted to make some sandwiches.

7.It’s very difficult to find a work/ job at the moment.

Adapted from: MURPHY, Raymond. 2002. Grammar in Use. Intermediate. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002, p. 135.

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Unit 4

PERIODIC TABLE

∙Periodic Table

∙Consist, Contain, Include

∙Chemical Elements

∙British v. American English

Periodic Table

1. Put the following expressions into correct places in the Periodic Table on the next page. Then read the text about the Periodic Table and use the same expressions to fill the gaps.

symbol, atomic weight, name, atomic number, group, row, alkali metals, halogens, noble

gases, lanthanides, actinides, alkaline earth metals

The most convenient presentation of the chemical elements is in the periodic table of the chemical elements, which groups elements by ___________ ___________. Due to its ingenious arrangement, columns, or _____________, and ______________, or periods, of elements in the table either share several chemical properties, or follow a certain trend in characteristics such as atomic radius, electronegativity, electron affinity, etc.

The main value of the periodic table is the ability to predict the chemical properties of an element based on its location on the table. The properties vary differently when moving vertically along the _________ of the table, than when moving horizontally along the ______________.

The periodic table was first devised in 1869 by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev. Mendeleev intended the table to illustrate recurring ("periodic") trends in the properties of the elements. The layout of the table has been refined and extended over time, as new elements have been discovered, and new theoretical models have been developed to explain chemical behaviour. Various layouts are possible to emphasize different aspects of behaviour; the most common forms, however, are still quite similar to Mendeleev's original design.

For a truly unique design – Periodic Table Table – see http://www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/

Adapted from: www.wikipedia.org

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2. Which elements are:

3.What does the term ‘chemical series’ mean?

4.What are the synonyms of the following words used in the article? ingenious

location recurring to refine

to emphasize unique

5.What is the difference between the following words? Are they synonyms? devise

develop invent discover

Consist, contain or include?

The periodic table consists of rows and columns

It contains elements.

Different elements include carbon, sulphur, hydrogen, oxygen etc.

1.The classic symptoms of exposure to toxic chemicals _______________ headaches, sore throats, vomiting, etc.

2.The word’s trees ________________ between 460-800 billion tones of carbon.

3.The local fauna _______________ wolves, snakes and a wide range of unpleasant insects.

4.The graphs do not _______________ information about the use of the cell.

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5.Other greenhouse gasses _______________ carbon dioxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons.

6.I could hardly __________________ my excitement.

Adapted from: ORESKÁ, A. et al. 2004. Activity Book English for Chemists. Bratislava: STU, 2005, pp. 18 – 19.

Chemical Elements

1.How are the following elements called in Slovak?

2.How are they pronounced?

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