Avogadro’s number (N
A
) The number of
particles (6.022 × 10
23
) of a substance
in 1 mol of that substance. By definition,
Avogadro’s number is equal to the
number of carbon-12 atoms in exactly
12.0000 g of carbon-12, 91, 92
Axial position The position of a group when
it is aligned along the z axis of a
molecule, 340
Baekeland, Leo, 563
Bakelite, 563
Balanced Appropriate coefficients have been
added such that the number of atoms of
each element are the same in both
reactants and products, 103
Balances, 47, 668, 806
Balmer, Johann J., 217, 218
Balmer series, 218–219, 223
Band gap A small energy gap that exists
between the valence band and the
conduction band, 553–554
Band theory A metal is a lattice of metal
cations spaced throughout a sea of
delocalized electrons, 551–553
Bar A unit used to measure pressure.
1.01325 bar = 1 atmosphere, 399
Barium, 271t,A9
Barium hydroxide
reaction with ammonium chloride, 597
reaction with magnesium sulfate, 147
Barometer, 399
Bartlett, Neil, 329
Base hydrolysis The process in which a base
reacts with water to produce its
conjugate acid and hydroxide ion, 753
Base pair A pair of nucleic acids that are
intermolecularly bound to each other
through noncovalent forces of attraction,
for example, the combination of A and T
or of G and C in a DNA duplex, 936,
937f, 942
Bases According to the Arrhenius model, a
species that produces hydroxide ions in
solution. Compare the definitions of
Brønsted–Lowry base and Lewis base,
129, 148
Arrhenius, 719–720
Brønsted–Lowry, 720–722
characteristics of, 723
conjugate, 720–722, 753
equilibrium constants for, 725, A14
importance of, 718–719
Lewis, 722–723, 870
list of common, 719t
strength of, 130, 149–150
See also Acid–base entries;
Aqueous equilibria
Base units The set of seven fundamental
units of the International System,
17–20
Basic anhydrides Binary compounds that
are formed between metals with very low
electronegativity and oxygen and that
react vigorously with water, 757
Basic Having a pH greater than 7.0 in
aqueous solution at 24°C, 735
Basic solutions
balancing redox reactions in, 840–841
determining pH of, 743–746
salts, 752–757
Batteries Two or more voltaic cells joined in
series, 826, 847–849
chemistry of common, 848–849
decreasing potentials in, 854
list of selected, 848t
rechargeable, 848, 849, 854
See also Electrochemical cells
Bauxite, 271, 420, 857, 858
Bazemore, Whit, 622, 623f
Becquerel (Bq) An SI unit of activity
equivalent to one nuclear disintegration
per second, 911
Bent geometry, 336–337, 340
Benzene, 71, 505f
boiling-point elevation of, 476t
freezing-point depression for, 478t
miscibility of, 466
molecular orbital for, 384–385
properties of, 385, 467
shorthand notations for, 385f
Beryllium
electron configuration of, 246
electronegativity of, 289
Lewis dot symbol for, 305
thermodynamic data for, A9
uses of, 271t
Beryllium chloride, molecular geometry
of, 337
Beryllium hydride, hybrid orbitals in, 366
Beta-galactosidase, 592
Beta-particle emission A naturally occurring
type of radioactive decay wherein an
electron is ejected at high speed from the
nucleus, typical of nuclei that have too
many neutrons to be energetically stable.
An antineutrino accompanies this
emission, and sometimes one or more
gamma rays as well. Also known as beta
emission, 904–905, 919t
Beta particles (β particles) Particles emitted
from the nucleus of a radioactive atom
during the process of beta decay. These
particles are high-speed electrons,
54–55, 904
penetration capability of, 909–910
Beta pleated sheet (β sheet), 945
Beta-plus emission A type of radioactive
decay wherein a positron is ejected at
high speed from the nucleus, typical of
nuclides that have too few neutrons. A
neutrino accompanies this emission, and
usually one or gamma rays as well. Also
known as positron emission, 918
Bidentate Capable of forming two coordinate
covalent bonds to the same metal
center, 874
Bimolecular reaction A reaction involving
the collision of two molecules in the
rate-determining step, 648
Binary covalent compounds Compounds
composed of only two nonmetal
elements, 72–73
Binary ionic compounds Compounds typi-
cally composed of a metal and nonmetal
element, which have ions that interact via
electrostatic attractions,73–75
Binding energy The energy released when a
nucleus is formed from protons and
neutrons. Binding energies are expressed
as a positive number, 915–917
Binding rate constant The rate constant the
indicates the association of two
molecules, 670
Biochemical pathway A sequence of
biochemical reactions that lead to the
consumption or production of a
particular metabolite, 958–959
Bioenergetics The study of the energy changes
that occur within a living cell, 580
Biological processes. See Chemistry of life
Biomass conversion The release of energy
from the chemical conversion—often
simply the burning—of plants and
trees, 198
Biopolymer A polymer of biological
materials, such as DNA or
cellulose, 572
Bismuth, 272t,A9
Blood
chemicals in, 126, 260
color of, 890–891
hemoglobin, 260, 291, 869–870
as isotonic solution, 480
Body-centered cubic (bcc) unit cell A unit
cell built via the addition of an atom,
ion, or molecule at the center of the
simple cubic unit cell, 543, 546, 549
Bohr, Niels, 220, 221f, 222
Bohr frequency condition, 222
Bohr’s model of atomic structure, 220–224,
227–228, 234–235
Boiler scale A buildup of calcium and
magnesium salts within pipes and water
heaters. Typically composed of calcium
carbonate and magnesium carbonate,
309–310, 767
Boiling The process that occurs when the
vapor pressure of a liquid is equal to the
external vapor pressure, 455
Boiling point The temperature at which the
pressure of a liquid’s vapor is equal to the
surrounding pressure, 455
hydrogen bonds and, 449–451
impact of altitude on, 455–456
molar mass and, 446–448, 506
of selected compounds, 446t
Boiling-point elevation The increase in the
boiling point due to the presence of a
dissolved solute, 475–477, A13
Boltzmann, Ludwig, 582–583
A56 Index/Glossary