The Periodic Table

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Buck Thorn

07:24

@LordStryker Compare to using (pure) carbon. Check out Ellingham diagrams.

4 hours later…

LordStryker

11:12

seeking a definitive answer is never a waste of time! (unless one does not exist)

IUPAC is somewhat silent on what an ox./red. agent is

1 hour later…

Buck Thorn

12:31

I guess "agent" is the key word. Carbon is oxidized, but what makes it an "agent"? IUPAC avoids defining a lot of stuff, although perhaps it's a question of searching long enough through its documents.

LordStryker

13:26

We've been searching

3 hours later…

Mithoron

16:29

@LordStryker "agent" should only be a reagent. Better say reductant, or reducer if you want to stretch meaning.

We are creating language. It's an artificial construct and seeking a definitive answer can certainly a waste of time if the question is moot.

1 hour later…

Hot nitric acid (HNQ)

17:52

Q: Teaching stereochemistry of Tartrat(e)

(I'm a German, thus no end e - otherwise the main gag wouldn't work.) Stereoisomeres are not 100% intuitive; it is telling that chemists came on the idea relative late (IMHO). The first compound separated was tartrat, which is even worse to intuition due to two stereocenters. It is tempting to pr...