sulfonic acid
1
7.5
- noun
- /sʌlˈfɒnɪk ˈæsɪd/
- Specialized
- The chemical formula for sulfonic acid is R-SO₃H.
Examples
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The detergent contains a sulfonic acid derivative as its active cleaning agent.
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Scientists studied the reaction of benzenesulfonic acid, a typical sulfonic acid, with various reagents.
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In organic synthesis, sulfonic acid groups are useful for introducing water solubility to compounds.
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Many sulfonic acids are used in detergents.
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In organic synthesis, sulfonic acid groups are useful for introducing water solubility to compounds.
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The detergent contains a sulfonic acid derivative as its active cleaning agent.
-
Scientists studied the reaction of benzenesulfonic acid, a typical sulfonic acid, with various reagents.
Synonyms
A chemical compound that has an acid group with one sulfur and three oxygen atoms or its salt
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'sulfonic' names the –SO3H functional group and 'acid' denotes an acidic compound, so the meaning 'an acid containing a sulfonic group' is directly derived from the constituents. This follows common chemical naming patterns (e.g. 'sulfuric acid', 'hydrochloric acid') that are cross-linguistically regular, making it immediately inferable to learners who know the parts.
Etymology
The name sulfonic acid comes from sulfur plus the word acid, so it literally names an acid that has a small sulfur-based part attached. This small part, written 'SO3H', acts like a tiny sticky tag that makes the chemical acidic and often 'water-friendly', which is why chemists call these compounds sulfonic acids today.