OT: Dihydrogen mono whatsit? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: kfitch42
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2013, 01:46:29 pm
content: We have all heard the jokes where people freak out about dihydrogen-mono-whatsit in the water supply. My question is what is the exact proper way to say H2O in chemistry speak. My last formal chemistry class was in 9th grade, and I remember being told it was dihydrogen monoxide, but I have heard several other variants over the years:dihydrogen monoxidedihydrogen mono oxidedihydrogen mono oxygendihydrogen monoxygenOMG JEEBUS WE AER BEING POIZEND!I figure, with the crowd here, there has to be at least a couple chem geeks who can clear this up for me.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2013, 02:00:02 pm
content: Waterapparently aka.OxidaneHydrogen oxideDihydrogen monoxide (DHMO)Hydrogen monoxideDihydrogen oxideHydrogen hydroxide (HH or HOH)Hydric acidHydrohydroxic acidHydroxic acidHydrolu-Oxido dihydrogenwow.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2013, 02:13:42 pm
content: I like Hydroxyl Acid. I'm not 100% that it's correct chemistry terminology, but it's much more fun telling E-number freaks that almost all food contains high levels of hydroxyl acid.

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 28, 2013, 02:17:54 pm
content: I wouldn't worry about the dihydrogen oxide .. I spend hours pulling out the Deuterium oxide molecules !!Those are NASTY !!

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2013, 02:52:57 pm
content: Quote from: kfitch42 on May 28, 2013, 01:46:29 pmIt's basically "water" or "water substance". Well known substances like water do not need any special kind of name when the common name is so well understood.However, if you wanted to construct a name you could go with hydrogen oxide (compare with sodium oxide, Na2O, or potassium oxide, K2O).

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2013, 08:21:29 pm
content: Quote from: IanB on May 28, 2013, 02:52:57 pmBingo, it is quite simply water. As a chemist, I have NEVER referred to it in any other way (except in jest). In fact it is just referred to as H-two-Oh. In reactions it s just denoted H2O(s), H2O(l) or H2O(g) to denote its physical state.Additionally, you would not use dihydrogen monoxide or dihydrogen oxide or hydrogen monoxide because both species are in their most common oxidation states. For example, with hydrogen peroxide, because oxygen is in the -1 state instead of the usual -2 state you denote it as the peroxide. This obviously does not apply to elements with multiple common states, such as sulfur, where you would denote the number of negatively charged species (SF6 is sulfur hexafluoride, SF5 is sulfur pentafluoride and SF4 is sulfur tetrafluoride).

author: houdini
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:40:42 am
content: I think the naming rules are different for metals and nonmetal vs non metal/non metal. If there is a metal you dont use a prefix.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:49:50 am
content: Quote from: houdini on May 29, 2013, 03:40:42 amThe naming rules vary a bit between inorganic and organic compounds, given that organic compounds can have such complicated molecules.But in general, the "prefix" for metals is actually a postfix. For instance, ferrous sulfate (old name) became iron(II) sulfate, and ferric sulfate became iron(III) sulfate. In the new naming scheme the postfix is replaced with the oxidation state of the metal.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 03:58:34 am
content: IUPAC says it's water.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 29, 2013, 04:00:48 am
content: Quote from: Fsck on May 29, 2013, 03:58:34 amWhat does IUPAC know about anything?