Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) germanium jərmāˈnēəm [key] [from Germany], semimetallic chemical element; symbol Ge; at. no. 32; at. wt. 72.63; m.p. 937.4℃; b.p. 2,830℃; sp. gr. 5.323 at 25℃; valence +2 or +4. Pure german...

(Encyclopedia) Caltanissetta kälˌtänēs-sĕtˈtä [key], city, capital of Caltanissetta prov., central Sicily, Italy. It is ...

(Encyclopedia) Fengjie or Fengkieh both: fŭng-jēĕ [key], city, E Sichuan prov., China. The city is on the Chang River at the beginning of the series of gorges that extends to Yichang, Hubei prov. There are sulfur...

(Encyclopedia) Hellín ĕlyēnˈ [key], town, Albacete prov., SE Spain, in Castile–La Mancha. An important...

(Encyclopedia) seltzer water, mineral water containing free carbon dioxide, obtained originally from springs at Niederselters, Germany. Reputed to have curative value in treating several diseases, it became very pop...

(Encyclopedia) Aix-les-Bains ĕks-lā-băNˈ [key], town, Savoie dept., SE France, situated on Lake Bourget at the foot of the Alps. It is a popular resort and spa. The town's alum and s...

(Encyclopedia) Greek fire, a flammable composition believed to have consisted of sulfur, naphtha, and quicklime. Although known in antiquity, it was first employed on a large scale by the Byzantines. Bronze tubes th...

(Encyclopedia) Black, Joseph, 1728–99, Scottish chemist and physician, b. France. He was professor of chemistry at Glasgow (1756–66) and from 1766 at Edinburgh. He is best known for his theories of latent heat a...

(Encyclopedia) damp, in mining, any mixture of gases in an underground mine, especially oxygen-deficient or noxious gases. The term damp probably is derived from the German dampf, meaning fog or vapor. Several disti...

(Encyclopedia) carbon disulfide, CS2, liquid organic compound; it is colorless, foul-smelling, flammable, and poisonous. It can be prepared by direct reaction of carbon, e.g., as charcoal, with sulfur. It is a widel...