calcium octadecanoate

Friendly

Word: Calcium Octadecanoate

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Calcium octadecanoate is a chemical compound that is a type of calcium salt. It comes from two fatty acids: stearic acid and palmitic acid. This compound does not dissolve in water easily. It is often formed when soap is mixed with water that contains calcium ions, which can happen in places where the water is "hard" (meaning it has a lot of minerals).

Usage Instructions:

• Use "calcium octadecanoate" when discussing chemistry, especially in contexts involving soaps, hard water, or fatty acids.
• It is a technical term, so it is mostly used in scientific discussions rather than in everyday conversation.

Example Sentence:

"When soap is used in hard water, it can create calcium octadecanoate, which forms a scum on the surface."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced discussions, you may encounter calcium octadecanoate in topics related to: - Environmental science, such as the effects of hard water on soap efficiency. - Chemistry, particularly in discussions about the reactions between soaps and minerals in water.

Word Variants:

• Calcium: A chemical element (Ca) that is a key mineral for living organisms.
• Octadecanoate: A salt or ester of octadecanoic acid (stearic acid), which has 18 carbon atoms.

Different Meanings:

• The term "calcium" can refer to the element on its own, while "octadecanoate" can refer to the broader category of compounds derived from octadecanoic acid.

Synonyms:

• Calcium stearate (though this is more specific to the stearic acid part)
• Hard soap residue (a more general term that refers to the precipitate formed in hard water)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "calcium octadecanoate." However, you might encounter phrases like "hard water" or "scum on the surface" in related contexts.

Summary:

Calcium octadecanoate is a specific chemical compound formed from soap and hard water. It is primarily used in scientific contexts and helps explain the interactions between soap and minerals in water.

Academic

Noun

1. an insoluble calcium salt of stearic acid and palmitic acid; it is formed when soap is mixed with water that contains calcium ions and is the scum produced in regions of hard water

Synonyms

• calcium stearate