Chemical Compounds
Key compounds that shape chemistry, biology, and nuclear science.
Water
Universal solvent. Covers 71% of Earth's surface. Essential for all known life. Unique hydrogen bonding gives it unusual properties.
Carbon Dioxide
Greenhouse gas produced by combustion and respiration. Used in photosynthesis. Atmospheric concentration has risen from 280ppm to 420ppm+ since industrialization.
Sodium Chloride
Common table salt. Ionic compound formed from Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. Essential for biological functions and food preservation.
Sulfuric Acid
One of the most widely produced industrial chemicals. Used in car batteries, fertilizer production, and chemical manufacturing. Highly corrosive.
Ammonia
Nitrogen-hydrogen compound. Key in fertilizer production via the Haber process. Critical for feeding half the world's population.
Glucose
Simple sugar and primary energy source for cells. Product of photosynthesis. Broken down via glycolysis and the citric acid cycle.
Methane
Simplest hydrocarbon. Main component of natural gas. Potent greenhouse gas - 80x more warming than CO₂ over 20 years.
Nitric Acid
Strong acid used in fertilizer and explosives production. Reacts with metals to form metal nitrates. Key industrial chemical.
Uranium Dioxide
Ceramic nuclear fuel used in the vast majority of nuclear power reactors worldwide. High melting point (~2865°C).
Plutonium Dioxide
Used in mixed oxide (MOX) nuclear fuel and radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) powering deep space probes.
Uranium Hexafluoride
Used in uranium enrichment processes. Gaseous at room temperature, allowing separation of U-235 by centrifuge or diffusion.
Heavy Water
Water where hydrogen is replaced by deuterium (²H). Used as a neutron moderator in CANDU reactors. Allows use of natural uranium as fuel.