Glossary of Chemical Terms - I

I

immiscible

Two liquids that do not dissolve in each other.

incineration

Burning of wastes under controlled high temperatures and oxygen levels that results in their complete combustion; not the same as burning leaves in the back yard or wood in the fireplace.

indicator

A substance used to indicate the end point of a titration by a change in color.

inhibitor

A substance that retards the rate of a chemical reaction.

intercalation

The binding of a molecule between adjacent base pairs in DNA.

intermolecular

Between molecules.Intermolecular forces are those forces between molecules.

intramolecular

Refers to a characteristic within one molecule or ion, referring only to the atoms in the molecular or ion.

inverse relationship or proportion

When one quantity decreases as a result of the other increasing or vice versa. For example, density is inversely related to volume for constant mass.

ion

An electrically charged particle formed by the gain or loss of electrons.

ion-exchanger

A resin capable of removing unwanted ions and replacing them with more desirable ones.For example, Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺, which interfere with the action of soap or detergent can be replaced by Na⁺, which does not.

isomers

Compounds with the same molecular formulas but different arrangements of atoms.

isotopes

Atoms of the same element with differing numbers of neutrons.

Glossary created by David Shaw (Madison Area Technical College) for The Chemistry Place.

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