FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS

DEPARTAMENTO DE QUÍMICA
LICENCIATURA EM QUÍMICA INDUSTRIAL
Inglês II
Exercise resolution

Unit 2
CHEMISTRY

Discente: Docente:

Martoon Miambo Manuel

Maputo, Julho 2020

0
MiAmBo
What is Chemistry?
1. How would you define Chemistry? What is the scope of its study?

A: We define Chemistry as being a science that deals with compounds, substances,

structures, composition and properties of matter. Chemistry is one of the vastest science,
being applicable in food industries, metallurgical industry, it is applied in cosmetic
products production, used in medicine to produce analgesics, antibiotics, tranquillizers and
many more, also applied for increase in comfort, pleasure and luxuries, like to producing
jewelries, synthetic fibers, building material, etc.

2. What definition of Chemistry was mentioned in Unit 1?

A: In Unit 1 Chemistry was defined as the science that studies substances and their
reactions.

3. Meaning of the words in bold.

• Composition: referring to the parts, elements or substances that form one thing as a
whole.
• Properties: refers to the behavior, qualities, traits and characteristics of a substance.
• Organic: means deriving from living matter.
• Inorganic: means deriving from non living matter.
• Phenomena: facts or situations that are observed to exist or happen, especially
those whose causes or explanations are in question.
• Matter: a physical substance that occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially
as distinct from energy.
• Interactions: the engagement of two or more objects resulting in an affection upon
one another.
• Procedures: meaning a series of actions conducted in a certain order or manner.
• Reproductible: able to be reproduced or copied.
• Hypotheses: suppositions or proposed explanations made on the basis of limited
evidences as a starting point for further investigation.

1
MiAmBo
 • Examine: test, analize, inspect or carefully study something.
• Essential tool: something relevant or very important.

4. How many meanings of the word chemistry are mentioned in the article? Does the
word “chémia” have the same meanings in Slovak?

A: There are 4 meanings of the word “Chemistry” in the article that were extracted from the
Webster’s Dictionary. Yes, in Slovak “Chémia” means the same.

5. Which branches of science are, according to the article, closely related to chemistry?
Do you agree?

A: The branches of science closely related to Chemistry according to the article are Physics
and Biology. Yes I do agree, because for e.g., on one hand it is used in Biology to make
healing drugs and remedies, on the other hand in Physics it is used in process that involve
energy.

6. Why, according to the article, is Chemistry a science? What criteria are mentioned?

A: According to the article, Chemistry is a science because its procedures are systematic
and reproducible, plus its hypotheses are tested using the scientific method.

7. Do you think that Mathematics is an essential tool for the study of Chemistry, as the
article says? Do you as the students of Chemistry need to study mathematics.

A: Yes, I think Mathematics is an essential tool for studying Chemistry as it plays a good
role when it comes to calculus. We, as students of Chemistry, need to study Mathematics
without a doubt.

2
MiAmBo
8. What is the meaning of the following words?

• Thesis

A: Thesis is a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or

proved.

• Hypothesis

A: Hypothesis is a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited

evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

Plural in English

1. Find the examples of plural words in the text. What are the rules for forming plural
in English?
A: E.g. of plural words: properties, phenomena and hypotheses. The first word uses
English rules which is based on just adding an s to the end of the word; the second word
follows Greek rules which is based on switching the -on from its singular form with -a;
the last word also follows the Greek rule switch is based on changing the -is from its
singular to – es.
2. Are there any exceptions to these rules?
A: Yes, there are some exceptions to these rules once that there are words that don’t
follow a specified rule, they can alternatively follow multiple rules instead.
3. Some English words only occur in plural. Can you think of any examples?
A: Species, goods, troops, ashes, funds, annals, ashes, bowels, guts,
4. Some English words only occur in singular. Can you think of any examples?
A: Rice, draughts, measles, billiards, Physics, Economics, Gymnastics, Athletics

3
MiAmBo
Latin and Greek plural
- Some words which retain their original Greek and Latin forms make their plurals
according to the rules of Greek and Latin with English pronunciation.
Latin words: Sing. ending Plur. ending
alga algae
radius radii
Exception: corpus corpora
curriculum curricula
Latin words: Sing. ending Plu. Ending
synthesis syntheses
hypothesis hypotheses
phenomenon phenomena
criterion criteria

- Some of these words have double plural form: Formula formulae

formulas

- Some words follow the English rules: dogma dogmas

Why do you think this is so?

A: As far as I'm concerned that is so mainly because of the way the words would be if not
following the rules, making it hard and awkward to pronounce them. My second point is
due to intensity of use of some Latin and Greek words that end up becoming too familiar
English.

4
MiAmBo
Fundamental Concepts of Chemistry

1. Read the text and fill in the gaps with the following expressions in appropriate
forms. Use each expression only once:
chemical formula,chemical equation,proton, neutron, element, electron, atomic
nucleus, molecule, cation, anion, chemical compound, chemical reaction, chemical
bonds, ion, molecule, atomic number.

An atom is a collection of matter consisting of a positively charged core (the atomic

nucleus) which contains protons and neutrons and which maintainsa number of
electrons to balance the positive charge in the nucleus. The atom is also the smallest
portion into which an element can be divided and still retain its properties, made up of
a dense, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons.
The most basic chemical substances are the chemical elements. They are building
blocks of all other substances. An element is a class of atoms which have the same
number of protons in the nucleus. This number is known as the atomic number of the
element. For example, all atoms with 6 protons in their nuclei are atoms of the chemical
element carbon, and all atoms with 92 protons in their nuclei are atoms of the element
uranium. Each chemical element is made up of only one kind of atom. The atoms of
one element differ from those of all other elements. Chemists use letters of the alphabet
as symbols for the elements. In total, 117 elements have been observed as of 2007, of
which 94 occur naturally on Earth. Others have been produced artificially.
An ion is an atom or a molecule that has lost or gained one or more electrons.
Positively charged cation (e.g. sodium chloride cation Na+) and negatively charged
anion (e.g. chloride Cl-) can form neutral salts (e.g. sodium chloride, NaCl).
Electrical forces at the atomic level create chemical bonds that join two or more atoms
together, forming a molecule. Some molecules consist of atoms of a single element.
Oxygen molecules, for example, are made up of two oxygen atoms. Chemists represent
the oxygen molecule O2. The 2 indicates the number of atoms in the molecule.

5
MiAmBo
 When atoms of two or more different elements bond together, they form a chemical
compound. Water is a compound made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen
atom. The chemical formula for a water molecule is H2O.
Compounds are formed or broken down by means of chemicalreactions. All chemical
reactions involve the formation or destruction of chemical bonds. Chemists use
chemical equations to express what occurs in chemical reactions. Chemical equations
consist of chemical formulas and symbols that the substances involved in chemical
change. For example, the equation
C(s) + O2(g) → CO2(g)

Express the chemical change that occurs when one carbon atom reacts, or bonds, with
an oxygen molecule. The reaction produces one molecule of carbon dioxide, which has
the formula CO2.

2. Read the article again. The names of which chemical elements and compounds can
you find there?
A: Carbon, Uranium, Sodium chloride, Oxygen, Water and Carbon dioxide.
3. What is the meaning of the following expressions:
- Chemical bonds: lasting attractions between atoms, ions or molecules that enable the
formation of chemical compounds.
- Bond together: to bind or be held strongly together with another object or substance in
a single mass.
- Dense: closely compacted in substance.
- Density: the quality or degree of compactness of a substance.

6
MiAmBo
Exercise 1. Choose the correct form of the verb, singular or plural.

1. Physics was/were my best subject in school.

A: Physics was my best subject in school.
2. Can I borrow your scissors? Mine isn’t / aren’t sharp enough.
A: Can I borrow your scissors? Mine isn’t sharp enough.
3. Do you think the peopleis/are happy with the government?
A: Do you think the people are happy with the government?
4. Gymnastics is/are my favourite sport.
A: Gymnasticsis my favourite sport.
5. The trousers you bought for me doesn’t / don’t fit me.
A: The trousers you bought for medon’t fit me.

Exercise2. Change the following sentences from plural to singular.

1. What criteria did the scientists use?

A: What criterion did the scientists use?
2. The formulae represent the molecular structures of the substances.
A: The formula represents the molecular structure of the substance.
3. The investigated phenomena are not frequent.
A: The investigated phenomenon is not frequent.
4. The analyses of the results did not prove his hypotheses.
A: The analysis of the result did not prove his hypothesis.
5. Electrolysis is used for purifying certain metals.
A: Electrolysis is used for purifying certain metals.

Exercise 3. Write the plural form of the words initalics.

1. Even the best psychiatrists sometimes make mistakes in their diagnosis and
treatment.
A: diagnosis (singular) → diagnoses (plural)
2. Nuclear energy is produced using the heat generated by splitting the nucleus of
atoms of certain elements.
A: nucleus (singular) →nuclei (plural)
7
MiAmBo
 3. Atoms emit or absorb quantum of equal energy.
A: quantum (singular) → quanta (plural)
4. Chemical equilibrium may be classified into two groups, namely homogenous and
heterogenousequilibrium.
A: equilibrium (singular) →equilibria (plural)
5. After analyzing the datum, they were able to draw conclusions.
A: datum (singular) →data (plural)

8
MiAmBo