Chemistry Roots

Table 1.7 Roots, prefixes and suffixes in chemistry - From the Sourcebook for Teaching Science

a, an            not, without - amorphous, anhydrous, anaerobic, atypical

                        Amorphous carbon does not display crystalline structure.

acid, acri      sour, sharp - acid, acidity, acrid, acidify, acidophilus

                        Acids, such as those in lemons and other citrus fruits, produce a sour taste.

ag, act         move, proceed - reagent, action, reaction, agent, activity

                        Chemical reagents are necessary for a reaction to proceed.

al, allo         other, different - allotrope, alloy, alter, allosteric, alias,  alien,

                        Graphite, charcoal, and diamond are allotropes (different forms) of carbon.

alpha           first - alpha particle,  alpha helix, alpha ray, alpha position, alpha test

                        Alpha radiation was the first radiation characterized by Ernest Rutherford.

amin           amine - amine, amino acid, vitamin, acetaminophen, deaminate, ammonia

                        At the center of amino acids are amine groups.

amph           double, both - amphoteric, amphibolite, amphibole

                        Amphoteric species can act both as acids or bases.

an               apart - analytical, analysis, anode, anabolism, anabolic

                        Analytical chemists break compounds apart to determine chemical structure.

-ane             single covalent bond - methane, alkane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, octane

                        Methane, ethane, propane and butane have only single bonds.

-ate             negatively charged ion - carbonate, phosphate, sulfate, hydrate, bromate, chlorate, iodate

                        Carbonate, phosphate and sulfate are negatively charged ions.

anti             against, opposite, inhibit - antioxidant, antifreeze, antacid, antinodes, antimatter

                        Antioxidants, such as vitamins C or E, inhibit oxidation.

aqu              water - aqueous, aqua regia, aquamarine, aquatic

                        In aqueous solutions, the solute is dissolved in water.

baro            pressure - barometer, bar, barometry, barometric pressure, hyperbaric chamber

                        Barometers are used to measure air pressure.

beta             second - beta particle, beta decay, beta ray, betatron

                        Beta radiation was the second type of radiation characterized by Ernest Rutherford.

bi               two - bivalent, binary compounds, bicarbonate, bimetallic

                        Bivalent (divalent) elements have a valence of two.

bio              life, living - biochemistry, bioassay, biocatalyst, biodegradable

                        Biochemistry is the chemistry of living systems.

calor            heat - calorimeter, calorie, caloric, kilocalorie, calorimetry

                        Calorimeters measure heat released or absorbed in reactions.

carb             coal, carbon - carbohydrate, carbonic acid, bicarbonate, carbon dioxide, carbide, carboxylic acid

                        Carbohydrates are carbon-based molecules, including sugars, starch and cellulose.

cat              down, negative - cathode, catalyst, catabolism,  catastrophe

                        Cathodes are negatively charged electrodes.

cau, caus      burn, heat - caustic, cauldron, cauterize, caustic soda

                        Caustic substances, such as sodium hydroxide, can burn organic tissues.

chem           chemical - chemisorption, chemistry, biochemistry, chemoautotroph, chemoreceptor, chemist

                        In chemisoprtion, the adsorbed substance is held by chemical bonds.

chrom          color - chromium, chromosphere, chromatography, monochrome, dicrhomate

                        Chromium compounds are very colorful.

co, com       with, together - conjugate, composition, coefficient, colligative, compress, conduction, convection

                        Conjugate acids and bases exist with each other, differing only by the presence of a proton.

cry              cold - crystal, cryogenic, crystalline, liquid crystal, crystallize, cryoprecipitate

                        Crystals form when supersaturated solutions are cooled.

de               down, lack, from - denature, decomposition, dehydrate, decant,  deformation

                        Denatured proteins lack the critical three-dimensional structure required to function.

dens            thick - density, dense, condense, condenser, densimeter

                        Density is a measure of  "thickness" (amount of mass per unit volume).

di                double  - disaccharide, dipeptide,  dichloride, dioxide, dibromide, disulfide, dichroic

                        Disaccharides are formed by the bonding of two monosaccharides.

dis, dif         separate, apart - dissociation, discontinuity, disperse, dispersion, differentiate

                        Salts dissociate when component ions separate in solution.

duc, -t          led, pulled - ductile, product, conduct, induce, deduce, deduction

                        Metals are ductile and can be pulled to produce wires.

e, ex, ef       out, without, from - emit, evaporation, explosion, exothermic, effervescence, effect, effuse

                        Thermochemists measure the amount of heat emitted from reactions.

electr           electricity - electrolyte, electricity, electrode, electromotive force, dielectric, electron

                        Electricity flows in solutions containing electrolytes.

elem            basic - elements, elemental, elementary particle

                        Elements can't be broken down into more basic substances by normal chemical means.

en               in, into - endothermic, endergonic, energy, enthalpy

                        Endothermic reactions take heat energy in from the environment.

-ene             double covalent bond - benzene, alkene, ethene, propene, butene, pentene, polypropylene, toluene

                        Benzene forms a six-carbon ring with three double covalent bonds bonds.

equ              equal - equilibrium, equate, equation, equal, equidistant

                        Equilibrium is a dynamic condition in which two opposing reactions occur at equal rates.

erg              work - energy, erg, bond energy, energetics

                        Energy is the capacity to perform work.

ex, exo        out, outside - exothermic, extrinsic, exterior, extrapolate, external

                        Exothermic reactions release heat to the outside environment.

ferr, ferro      iron - ferromagnetism, ferrous, ferric, ferricyanide, ferrite, ferroalloy

                        Ferromagnetic materials, such as iron,  are strongly attracted to magnets.

fiss             cleft, split - nuclear fission, fissionable, fission bomb

                        Nuclei split during nuclear fission.

fix              fix, fasten - fixation, fixture, affix, prefix, suffix, fix

                        During carbon fixation, atmospheric carbon is fixed into molecules of glucose.

flu              flow - fluids, reflux, fluctuate, influx, flux, flux density

                        Liquids and gasses are classified as fluids because they flow.

fract            break, broken - fractional distillation, fraction, refract, fractionate

                        During fractional distillation, mixtures are broken down and separated by different boiling points.

glyc            sweet, sugar - glycolysis, glycogen, glycolipid, glyceride, glycol

                        During glycolysis, glucose sugar is broken down, and pyruvic acid and energy are released.

graph           writing, printing - graphite, chromatography, crystallography, thermography, photography

                        Graphite is a planar form of carbon that makes gray marks when writing with pencils.

halo            salt - halogens, halocline, halite, halogenate

                        Halogens (group VII) often combine with metals to form salts.

here, hes      stick to - cohesive, cohesion, cohere, adhere, adhesion, adhesive, coherent

                        Cohesive substances stick to each other, while adhesive substances stick to other substances.

hybrid          combination - hybrid orbital, hybridize, sp3 hybridization, hybrid bond, hyperon

                        Hybrid orbitals are produced by the combination of two or more orbitals of the same atom.

hydr            water - hydrazine, hydrolysis, dehydrate, hydrogen, rehydrate, dehydration synthesis

                        Although very different chemically, hydrazine resembles water in that both are colorless liquids.

hyper           over, above - (hy)perchloric acid, hypertonic solution, (hy)perchlorate, hyperbaric, hyperacidic

                        The oxidation state of chlorine in perchloric acid is above the oxidation state in chloric acid.

hypo           under, beneath - hypochlorous acid, hypotonic, hypothesis

                        The oxidation state of chlorine in hypochlorous acid is lower than in chlorous acid.

-ic               higher valence - sulfuric, hydrochloric, phosphoric, nitric, bromic, ferric

                        Sulfur in sulfuric acid has a higher valence than in sulfurous acid.

-ide             derived from - bromide, chloride, fluoride, iodide, oxide, dioxide, monoxide, sulfide, hydride

                        Bromides are derived from bromine.

ign              fire - ignite, lignite, ignition, ignitable, igneous

                        Sulfur can be ignited with a hot flame.

-ile              describing - ductile, volatile, tensile, percentile, mobile

                        Volatility describes a substance's vapor pressure.

-ite              negatively charged ion - nitrite, chlorite, bromite, flourite, sulfite

                        Nitrite is a negatively charged ion.

-ion             process - fusion, fission, dilution, solution, adhesion

                        Fusion is the process of combining (fusing) nuclei to form a heavier nucleus.

iso              equal, same - isomers, isotonic, isometric, isotope, isosceles

                        Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula, but different structures.

-ist              one who studies - chemist, biochemist, organic chemist, geomorphologist, metalurigst

                        A chemist is one who studies chemistry.

kilo             thousand - kilogram, kilocalorie, kilojoule, kilopascal, kiloton, kilowatt

                        A kilogram is one thousand grams.

liqu             fluid, liquid - deliquescence, liquefy, liquid, liquefaction

                        Deliquescence is the tendency to become liquid.

lys, lyz        loosening, breaking - electrolysis, hydrolysis, catalysis, hydrolyze, acidolysis

                        Electrolysis is the breaking apart of a substance by an electric current.

malle           hammer - malleable, mallet, malleability

                        Malleability is the ability to bend when hit by a hammer.

mer             a part - dimer, polymer, polymerization, monomer, dimerize

                        Dimers, such as O2 or Cl2,  are made of two identical parts.

meter           measure - meter, voltammeter, thermometer, metric system, calorimeter, colorimeter, eudiometer

                        Thermometers are used to measure the intensity of heat energy.

mill            one thousand - milliliter, milligram, millibar, milliamp, millimole

                        A milliliter is one-thousandth of a liter.

misc, mix    mix - miscible, immiscible, mix, mixer, mixture

                        Oil and water are immiscilbe, unable to mix to form a homogeneous mixture.

mon            single - monomer, monosodium glutamate, monoglyceride, monobasic, monochromatic, monoxide

                        Monomers are single molecular units that can join to form polymers.

morph         form, shape - amorphous sulfur, dimorphic, geomorphology

                        Amorphous sulfur does not have a consistent shape.

neg             no - negligible, negate, negative, negligence, negate

                        A negligible measurement error will have no effect.

neutr           neither - neutral, neutron, neutralize, neutrality

                        Neutrons are neither positive nor negative.

nitro            nitrogen - nitrogen dioxide, nitroglycerin, nitride, nitric, nitrogen, nitrile, nitrite, nitrosyl, nitrous

                        Nitrogen dioxide is composed of one nitrogen and two oxygen atoms

non             not - nonpolar, nonferrous, nonabrasive, nonenzymatic

                        Nonpolar substances, such as butane, do not demonstrate polarity.

oct              eight - octet rule, octane, octanol, octyl, octagonal

                        The octet rule describes the tendency of atoms to establish a full set of eight valence electrons.

-on              unit - electron, proton, lepton, baryon, fermion, photon, boson

                        The electron is the smallest unit of electricity.

-ous            lower valence - sulfurous, nitrous, bromous, ferrous

                        Iron in ferrous oxide has a lower valence than in ferric oxide.

oxid, oxy     oxygen - oxidizer, oxide, dioxide, oxidize, oxidation, oxidize

                        Oxidizers resemble oxygen, removing electrons from other substances.

pent            five - pentahydrate, pentane, pentose, pentoxide, pentachloride,

                        Copper sulfate pentahydrate binds five water molecules per copper sulfate unit.

phil             love - hydrophilic, nucleophilic, acidophilic, basophilic

                        Hydrophilic substances are "water-loving" and dissolve rapidly in water.

photo          light - photochemical smog, photon, photolysis, photocatalysis, photochemsitry

                        Photochemical smog contains pollutants that are synthesized in the presence of sunlight.

polar           end of axis - polar covalent, polar, dipole, polarimeter, nonpolar

                        In polar molecules, the ends of the axes carry partial charges.

poly            many - polyester, polymer, polysaccharide, polyacrylic, polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylamide

                        Polyester is a polymer made by bonding many ester groups.

pre              before - precursor, precaution, predict, preheat, precede

                        Precursors are substances that arise before products form.

pyr              fire, heat - pyrolysis, pyrotechnics, pyrite, pyroclastic, pyrometer

                        Pyroloysis is decomposition by heat at high temperatures.

quant           amount - quantum, quantity, quantify, quantitative

                        A quantum is a discrete amount of energy.

radi, ray       ray, radius - radioactive, radius, ray, radiant, gamma ray

                        Radioactive materials emit rays of electromagnetic energy.

re                back, again - reflux, reabsorb, reaction,  reactant, reactive, rehydrate, remove, reduction, reheat

                        During reflux, vapor condenses, returns and is vaporized again.

sacchar         sugar - monosaccharide, disaccharide, polysaccharide, Saccharomyces

                        Monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose, are sugars.

sat              full, maximum - saturate, satisfy,  polyunsaturated, supersaturated, unsaturated

                        Saturated solutions contain the maximum amount of solute that can be held in solution.

semi            half, partial - semiconductor, semipermeable,  semisolid, semicrystalline

                        Semiconductors are partially conductive.

sol              dissolve - solubility, solution, dissolve, soluble, solvent

                        Solubility is a measure of a substance's potential  to dissolve in a specific solvent.

spec            look - spectator ions, specimen, specific, spectrum, specifications

                        Spectator ions "look on", but are not involved in reactions.

sub             under, below - subscript, subatomic, submerge, subtract, subscale, sublimation, sublimate, substrate

                        Subscripts are numbers or letters placed below a term, such as the "2" in H20.

super           above, beyond - supersaturate, superheat, supercool, superscript, superfluid, supernatant, superoxide

                        A solution is supersaturated when its concentration is increased beyond the saturation point.

therm          heat - thermochemistry, thermometer, therm, endothermic, exothermic, thermite

                        Thermochemistry studies changes in heat energy accompanying chemical and physical changes.

thesis          statement, arranging - hypothesis, synthesis, thesis, photosynthesis, chemosynthesis

                        A hypothesis is a testable statement and proposed explanation.

trans            across, through - trans-fatty acid, transition elements, transaminase, trans-, transfer, transmutation

                        In trans-fatty acids,  carbons are situated across from each other at the double bonds.

un               not - unsaturated, unbonded, untested, unheated, undissociated, unstable, unfavorable

                        Unsaturated bonds have not been saturated with hydrogen.

vac              empty - vacuum, vacate, evacuate, vacant, vacuous

                        A vacuum is an empty place, void of matter.

val              strength, worth - equivalence point, equivalent, validate, validity, evaluate, value

                        At the equivalence point, the strength of the base is equal to the strength of the acid.

-yne            triple covalent bond - alkyne, ethyne, butyne, propyne

                                    Alkynes have one or more triple covalent bonds.