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Glite Dictionary
orthophosphorous acid

orthophosphorous acid

8.4
A clear or yellow acid used to make chemicals and to reduce other substances
  • noun
  • /ˌɔrθoʊˈfɑs.fər.əs ˈæs.ɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido ortofosforoso
  • The chemist prepared orthophosphorous acid in the laboratory for use in a reduction reaction.

Examples

  • Unlike orthophosphoric acid, orthophosphorous acid contains only one replaceable hydrogen atom.

  • Handling orthophosphorous acid requires caution due to its reactivity and potential health effects.

  • The chemist used orthophosphorous acid in her experiment.

  • Is orthophosphorous acid safe to handle?

  • The chemist prepared orthophosphorous acid in the laboratory for use in a reduction reaction.

  • Handling orthophosphorous acid requires caution due to its reactivity and potential health effects.

  • Unlike orthophosphoric acid, orthophosphorous acid contains only one replaceable hydrogen atom.

Synonyms

phosphorous acid
vsorthophosphorous acid
  • Specialized
8.0

A clear or yellow acid that chemists use to make other chemicals and to remove oxygen from them

is the specific name variant with identical chemical use
hypophosphorous acid
vsorthophosphorous acid
  • Specialized
9.9

A clear or yellow acid used to reduce other chemicals in labs and industry

is the broader term for the same acid in general synthesis contexts

Surface Forms

orthophosphorous acid singular
orthophosphorous acids plural

Morphology

orthophosphorous + acid

The term 'orthophosphorous' is a specialized chemical nomenclature (ortho- + phosphorous) that an average B1 learner will not know, and knowing just 'acid' does not allow one to infer the specific meaning 'a monobasic reducing acid (H3PO2)'. The compositional parts are technical and domain-specific rather than transparent everyday vocabulary, so the overall term is not predictable from its constituents for typical learners.

Etymology

Orthophosphorous acid is made of three parts: ortho- meaning 'straight' or 'normal', phosphorous meaning 'from phosphorus', and acid. The name gives a simple image: it is the 'normal' form of a phosphorus acid with just one hydrogen that can be replaced, so chemists use orthophosphorous acid when they need a simple phosphorus acid to help make other chemicals.