“Reactivity Riddles: A Chem Crossword Challenge”
Across
- 3. A base-catalysed hydrolysis of esters yielding salts of fatty acids; the reaction is irreversible due to formation of ionic products.
- 4. A highly porous form of carbon with large surface area, commonly used in decolorisation due to its ability to adsorb colored impurities without chemical reaction.
- 5. Macromolecules formed via chain reactions (addition or condensation) whose properties depend on monomer arrangement, degree of polymerisation, and intermolecular forces.
- 6. A natural polymer of β-glucose units linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds, responsible for rigidity in plant cell walls and indigestible in humans.
- 7. A reaction in which the enthalpy change is nearly constant (~ −57 kJ/mol for strong acid–strong base), indicating formation of a stable product irrespective of reactant nature.
Down
- 1. A separation technique based on differences in vapour pressure and boiling points, often requiring fractionating columns when boiling points are close.
- 2. An analgesic whose reduced acidity compared to carboxylic acids is due to resonance stabilization of its phenolic group and presence of an amide linkage.
- 5. A logarithmic scale where a one-unit change represents a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration; used to compare acidity even in very dilute solutions.