Home

Home
Common Compounds
Exam Guide
FAQ
Features
Glossary
Construction Kits
Companion Notes
Just Ask Antoine!
Simulations
Slide Index
Toolbox
Tutorial Index


Home :Glossary

Glossary: K

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Glossary
kelvin. (K)
The SI* base unit* of temperature, defined by assigning 273.16 K to the temperature at which steam, ice, and water are at equilibrium (called the triple point of water). The freezing point of water is 273.15 K.

ketone. (R-CO-R')
An organic compound* that contains a carbonyl* group. For example, methyl ethyl ketone is CH3COCH2CH3_ is used in some adhesives.

kilo-. (k)
Prefix used in the SI* system meaning "one thousand of". For example 1 km means "one thousand meters"; 2.8 kg could also be written "2.8 × 103 g" or "2800 g".

kilogram. (kg)
The kilogram (kg) is the base unit* of mass in the SI* system of units. The standard kilogram is a 1 kg corrosion resistant platinum/iridium cylinder, carefully preserved in the suburbs of Paris (with a backup copy kept in Gaithersburg, Maryland.) Efforts are underway to replace these artifacts by redefining the kilogram as the mass of a certain number of silicon atoms.

kinetic energy. Compare with potential energy*.
The energy* an object possesses by virtue of its motion. An object of mass m moving at velocity v has a kinetic energy of ½mv2.

Kw. Kw.
Symbol for the autoprotolysis constant* for water, equal to 1.01 × 10-14 at 25°C.



ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ



General Chemistry Online! Glossary: K

Copyright © 1997-2010 by Fred Senese
Comments & questions to fsenese@frostburg.edu
Last Revised 02/23/18.URL: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/glossary/k.shtml