Home >
Community >
Why isn’t ozone called “trizone” or some other word that indicates three oxygen molecules, rather than zero oxygen molecules?
Upvote
VOTE
Downvote
+ Molecules
+ Oxygen
+ Science
+ Etymology
+ Chemistry
+ Organic chemistry
+ Atmospheric sciences
Posted by
Marlene Dixon
Why isn’t ozone called “trizone” or some other word that indicates three oxygen molecules, rather than zero oxygen molecules?
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not. ‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not. ‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
For the same reason molecular oxygen isn’t called “dizone”, or “oxygen oxide”, or “dioxy oxide”, or nitrogen called “dinitro nitride” or hydrogen “hydrohydride” or buckminsterfullerene “hexadecacarbide”.
It has never been the convention to indicate number of atoms in the common names of any element’s multi-atomic forms.
For the same reason molecular oxygen isn’t called “dizone”, or “oxygen oxide”, or “dioxy oxide”, or nitrogen called “dinitro nitride” or hydrogen “hydrohydride” or buckminsterfullerene “hexadecacarbide”.
It has never been the convention to indicate number of atoms in the common names of any element’s multi-atomic forms.
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not. ‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not. ‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not.
‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not.
‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
More
VOTE
For the same reason molecular oxygen isn’t called “dizone”, or “oxygen oxide”, or “dioxy oxide”, or nitrogen called “dinitro nitride” or hydrogen “hydrohydride” or buckminsterfullerene “hexadecacarbide”.
It has never been the convention to indicate number of atoms in the common names of any element’s multi-atomic forms.
For the same reason molecular oxygen isn’t called “dizone”, or “oxygen oxide”, or “dioxy oxide”, or nitrogen called “dinitro nitride” or hydrogen “hydrohydride” or buckminsterfullerene “hexadecacarbide”.
It has never been the convention to indicate number of atoms in the common names of any element’s multi-atomic forms.
More
VOTE
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not.
‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
Different compounds were named at different times, and some historical names stuck. Names often described some feature or observation about the particular compound, and that name stuck.
“Ozone” derives from the Greek word “ozon”, which means “to smell”. Air rich in ozone has a very distinct smell to it, almost sweet.
…
You’ll find a very similar origin in chemical compounds beginning with “azo-”, which signals the presence of nitrogen. A few hundred years ago nitrogen was called “azote”.
‘a’ meaning not.
‘zoion’ meaning “a living thing”.
And so named because when early chemists produced a lot of this particular gas, living things could not live in it. (Though, ironically, most of the atmosphere is nitrogen gas.)
Because of the huge number of possible compounds, the trend went towards sensible systemic naming. But traces of these old origins still remain.
More
VOTE