alpha-naphthol test
- noun
- /ˈælfə ˈnæfθɒl tɛst/
- Specialized
- After adding sulfuric acid, a violet ring appeared, confirming a positive alpha-naphthol test.
Examples
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The alpha-naphthol test is frequently used in laboratories to identify the presence of carbohydrates.
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Students learned to perform the alpha-naphthol test as part of their biochemistry practical.
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The alpha-naphthol test is crucial for identifying sugars.
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Can you explain how the alpha-naphthol test works?
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After adding sulfuric acid, a violet ring appeared, confirming a positive alpha-naphthol test.
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The alpha-naphthol test is frequently used in laboratories to identify the presence of carbohydrates.
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Students learned to perform the alpha-naphthol test as part of their biochemistry practical.
Synonyms
A chemical test that shows sugars in a liquid by making a violet ring
A chemical test that shows a violet ring when sugars are present
A lab test that shows sugar by making a purple ring
Surface Forms
Morphology
alpha-naphthol + test
The element 'alpha-naphthol' is a specialized chemical name that a B1 learner would not be able to decompose into familiar meanings, so the precise sense (a carbohydrate-detecting reaction producing a violet ring) is not recoverable from the parts. However, the compositional pattern 'X test' is predictable, so a learner who did know 'alpha-naphthol' and 'test' could infer it is a test that uses alpha-naphthol, giving partial but not full transparency.
Etymology
Alpha-naphthol test is named after the chemical alpha-naphthol, which makes a violet ring when it meets sugars and a strong acid. That purple ring looks like a small necklace around the sample, so the test means 'a way to show that sugars are present'.