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Glite Dictionary
paraffin series

paraffin series

6.4
A group of simple molecules like methane and propane made of hydrogen and carbon
  • noun
  • /ˈpærəfɪn ˈsɪriz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : serie de parafinas
  • The paraffin series includes methane, ethane, and propane as its simplest members.

Examples

  • All compounds in the paraffin series share the general molecular formula CnH2n+2.

  • Methane is the simplest member of the paraffin series.

  • Chemists study the paraffin series to understand the properties of alkanes.

  • The paraffin series includes several important compounds.

  • The paraffin series includes methane, ethane, and propane as its simplest members.

  • All compounds in the paraffin series share the general molecular formula CnH2n+2.

  • Chemists study the paraffin series to understand the properties of alkanes.

Synonyms

alkane series
vsparaffin series
  • Specialized
6.5

A group of simple chemicals made of carbon and hydrogen, like methane and propane

is an alternative traditional name for the same set of compounds
methane series
vsparaffin series
  • Specialized
5.1

A group of simple molecules made only of carbon and hydrogen, starting with methane

is the broader series name without focusing on the starting molecule

Surface Forms

paraffin series singular
paraffin series plural

Morphology

paraffin + series

The phrase is fully compositional: 'paraffin' names a class of hydrocarbons and 'series' denotes a sequence or group, so 'paraffin series' straightforwardly means a series of paraffin compounds. Although 'paraffin' is specialized vocabulary, if a learner knows that constituent the compound's meaning is directly derivable and therefore transparent.

Etymology

Paraffin series The noun paraffin series gets its name from the Latin words parum and affinis, which mean 'little affinity' because a chemist noticed these oils and waxes did not react easily with other things. So the paraffin series means a group of simple substances that 'do not react easily', like methane and propane.