Although we don't often think about it, chemistry and chemicals surround our everyday life. For example, when you get up in the morning and shower and brush your teeth, the soaps and shampoos and toothpastes you use are all chemicals. Their interactions with your body are all based on known chemical reactivities. Whenever someone mentions household chemicals, you probably think of bleaches and drain cleaners but the reality is that almost every item in your house has a chemical basis. In fact, it would be harder to find an example in a house of what wasn't considered a "chemical" than what is considered a chemical.
Key Concepts
Chemical compounds that are found in every household across America are very rarely described by true chemical nomenclature (name or formula). Rather, they have long extablished common names by which we know them. For example: We are all familiar with table salt. But its real chemical name is sodium chloride (NaCl). Unless you were a real nerd, you would never say please pass me the sodium chloride while sitting at the dinner table. Common names like "salt" make life simpler.
Now, however, you are becoming a chemist and as such you really should know the true names of at least some of the more common chemicals you will find around your home.
| Common Name | Chemical Name |
| acetone | dimethyl ketone |
| acid of sugar | oxalic acid |
| alcohol, grain | ethyl alcohol |
| alcohol, wood | methyl alcohol |
| alum | aluminum potassium sulfate |
| alumina | aluminum oxide |
| antichlor | sodium thiosulfate |
| aqua ammonia | aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide |
| aqua regia | nitrohydrochloric acid |
| aqua fortis | nitric acid |
| aromatic spirit of ammonia | ammonia in alcohol |
| asbestos | magnesium silicate |
| aspirin | acetylsalicylic acid |
| baking soda | sodium bicarbonate |
| banana oil (artificial) | isoamyl acetate |
| benzol | benzene |
| bichloride of mercury | mercuric chloride |
| black copper oxide | cupric oxide |
| black lead | graphite (carbon) |
| bleaching powder | chlorinated lime |
| blue vitriol | copper sulfate |
| bluestone | copper sulfate |
| borax | sodium borate |
| brimstone | sulfur |
| brine | aqueous sodium chloride solution |
| butter of antimony | antimony trichloride |
| butter of tin | anhydrous stannic chloride |
| calomel | mercury chloride |
| carbolic acid | phenol |
| carbonic acid gas | carbon dioxide |
| caustic potash | potassium hydroxide |
| caustic soda | sodium hydroxide |
| chalk | calcium carbonate |
| Chile saltpeter | sodium nitrate |
| chrome, alum | chromic potassium sulfate |
| chrome, yellow | lead (VI) chromate |
| copperas | ferrous sulfate |
| cream of tartar | potassium bitartrate |
| crocus powder | ferric oxide |
| emery powder | impure aluminum oxide |
| epsom salts | magnesium sulfate |
| ethanol | ethyl alcohol |
| fluorspar | natural calcium fluoride |
| formalin | aqueous formaldehyde solution |
| French chalk | natural magnesium silicate |
| galena | natural lead sulfide |
| Glauber's salt | sodium sulfate |
| gypsum | natural calcium sulfate |
| hydrocyanic acid | hydrogen cynanide |
| hypo (photography) | sodium thiosulfate solution |
| lime | calcium oxide |
| lime, slaked | calcium hydroxide |
| limewater | aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide |
| lunar caustic | silver nitrate |
| magnesia | magnesium oxide |
| mercury oxide, black | mercurous oxide |
| methanol | methyl alcohol |
| methylated spirits | methyl alcohol |
| muriatic acid | hydrochloric acid |
| oil of vitriol | sulfuric acid |
| oil of wintergreen (artificial) | methyl salicylate |
| Paris green | copper acetoarsenite |
| Paris white | powdered calcium carbonate |
| pear oil (artificial) | isoamyl acetate |
| pearl ash | potassium carbonate |
| plaster of Paris | calcium sulfate |
| plumbago | graphite |
| potash | potassium carbonate |
| potassa | potassium hydroxide |
| Prussic acid | hydrogen cyanide |
| pyro | tetrasodium pyrophosphate |
| quicklime | calcium oxide |
| quicksilver | mercury |
| red lead | lead tetraoxide |
| Rochelle salt | potassium sodium tartrate |
| rouge, jeweler's | ferric oxide |
| rubbing alcohol | isopropyl alcohol |
| sal ammoniac | ammonium chloride |
| sal soda | sodium carbonate |
| salt, table | sodium chloride |
| salt of lemon | potassium binoxalate |
| salt of tartar | potassium carbonate |
| saltpeter | potassium nitrate |
| silica | silicon dioxide |
| soda ash | sodium carbonate |
| soda lye | sodium hydroxide |
| soluble glass | sodium silicate |
| spirit of hartshorn | ammonium hydroxide solution |
| sugar, table | sucrose |
| talc or talcum | magnesium silicate |
| vinegar | impure dilute acetic acid |
| vitamin C | ascorbic acid |
| washing soda | sodium carbonate |
| water glass | sodium silicate |
Chemical or scientific names are used to give an accurate description of a substance's composition. It is important to remember that common names are inaccurate and vary from one place and time to another. Therefore, don't assume that you know the chemical composition of a substance based on its common name.
Glossary
Related Links
Household Products Safety Information (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/house.html)
Overview | Module | Background | Procedure | Report