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Glite Dictionary
periodic acid

periodic acid

7.3
An iodine acid in crystals that adds oxygen to other chemicals
  • noun
  • /ˌpɪrɪˈɒdɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido periódico
  • The reaction requires adding a small amount of periodic acid as the oxidizing agent.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the effects of periodic acid on several organic compounds in the report.

  • Many laboratories stock periodic acids for various experiments.

  • Many labs use periodic acid to oxidize sugars for carbohydrate analysis in research.

  • The chemist used periodic acid in the reaction.

  • Many labs use periodic acid to oxidize sugars for carbohydrate analysis in research.

  • The reaction requires adding a small amount of periodic acid as the oxidizing agent.

  • Researchers studied the effects of periodic acid on several organic compounds in the report.

Surface Forms

periodic acid singular
periodic acids plural

Morphology

periodic + acid

The ordinary meaning of 'periodic' (recurring at regular intervals) does not convey the chemical identity or oxidizing properties of the compound, so combining it with 'acid' does not allow a learner to infer that this is an iodine-containing crystalline oxidizing acid. This is a specialized technical name whose specific chemical sense is arbitrary relative to the common senses of the constituents, so a B1 learner knowing the words would not be able to derive the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Periodic acid gets its name from periodic, pointing to the periodic table where the element iodine is, and acid, meaning a type of chemical. So the name shows it is an acid made from iodine and explains why chemists use it 'to oxidize' other substances.