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A question about chemistry.


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"Base" I think is a legacy fom alchemy - it refers to common metals which were supposed to be changeable to gold. Base as in Acid and Base is a very american term - we'd use alkali which refers more to the likelihood to combine with acids to form salts.

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Is a base metal a base or not? :P

 

You know, I did chemistry for my degree so I should be able to help you out here, but I was so shit I changed to maths after a year and it's over a decade ago so I can't remember a thing.

 

I'd saaaaaaaaay........ :panic: ............ chlorine?

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From the Wikipedia page on base metals which would have answered your question right away.

 

In chemistry, the term base metal is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily, and reacts variably with diluted hydrochloric acid (HCl) to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc.

 

So, therefore, a base metal refers to it's oxidation properties.

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This reminds me of the time ,long ago, when we had student teacher in chemistry at school.

Told him I'd heard of a brown powdered substance, normally found in suspension. it's formula(or whatever the correct term is) was C.O.C.O.A.

The poor sod had it written on the board and was puzzling over it for a good half hour before 'Sir' walked in a bollocked us. :P

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Is a base metal a base or not? :P

 

You know, I did chemistry for my degree so I should be able to help you out here, but I was so shit I changed to maths after a year and it's over a decade ago so I can't remember a thing.

 

I'd saaaaaaaaay........ :nufc: ............ chlorine?

 

:panic:

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