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Glite Dictionary
straight chain

straight chain

5.5
Atoms in a molecule form a single row with no branches
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : cadena lineal
  • Chemists often study the properties of straight chain hydrocarbons to understand their behavior in different reactions.

Examples

  • So here's glucose as straight chain and glucose as a ring.

  • In organic chemistry, a straight chain molecule consists of carbon atoms connected in a linear sequence without any branching.

  • These are both terms straight chain, but they have different conformations.

  • The fatty acid had a long straight chain structure, which allowed it to remain fluid at lower temperatures.

Antonyms

branched chain
  • Specialized
6.1

A line of connected atoms with one or more small groups attached

How Linear

straight chain
  • Specialized
5.5
branched chain
  • Specialized
6.1

Surface Forms

straight chain singular
straight chains plural

Morphology

straight + chain

The noun meaning ('a chain of atoms arranged in a continuous sequence without side branches') is directly derivable from combining 'straight' (having no bend) with 'chain' (a sequence/backbone of atoms); the adjective+noun composition follows a regular, compositional pattern. Although the term is used in a technical chemistry context, its semantic buildup is transparent and would be inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Straight chain shows a simple picture: imagine a chain where all links line up in a straight row with no side pieces. Chemists used this image to name molecules whose atoms join in a single unbranched line, so straight chain means 'a chain of atoms without branches'.