Sesquioxide
Encyclopedia
A sesquioxide is an oxide
containing three atoms of oxygen
with two atoms (or radical
s) of another element. For example, aluminium oxide
(23) is a sesquioxide.
Many sesquioxides contain the metal in the +3 oxidation state and the oxide ion, e.g., Al2O3
, La2O3
. The alkali metal sesquioxides are exceptions and contain both peroxide
, ( O22−) and superoxide
, (O2−) ions, e.g., Rb2O3 is formulated [(Rb+)4(O22−)(O2−)2]. Sesquioxides of iron and aluminium are found in soil.
Sesquioxidizing, meaning the creation of a sesquioxide, is the highest scoring word that would fit on a Scrabble
board, though it does not actually appear in any official Scrabble dictionary. The word first occurred in 1976 in Josepha Heifetz Byrne's Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (ISBN 0806504986), though the Oxford English Dictionary
already listed sesquioxidized and sesquioxidation. One could theoretically score 2044 points in a single move, when otherwise only words from the official Scrabble word list
are used.
Sesquioxide was the Word of the Day on Artwiculate on August 11, 2011.
Oxide
An oxide is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom in its chemical formula. Metal oxides typically contain an anion of oxygen in the oxidation state of −2....
containing three atoms of oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
with two atoms (or radical
Radical (chemistry)
Radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons on an open shell configuration. Free radicals may have positive, negative, or zero charge...
s) of another element. For example, aluminium oxide
Aluminium oxide
Aluminium oxide is an amphoteric oxide with the chemical formula 23. It is commonly referred to as alumina, or corundum in its crystalline form, as well as many other names, reflecting its widespread occurrence in nature and industry...
(23) is a sesquioxide.
Many sesquioxides contain the metal in the +3 oxidation state and the oxide ion, e.g., Al2O3
Aluminium oxide
Aluminium oxide is an amphoteric oxide with the chemical formula 23. It is commonly referred to as alumina, or corundum in its crystalline form, as well as many other names, reflecting its widespread occurrence in nature and industry...
, La2O3
Lanthanum(III) oxide
Lanthanum oxide is La2O3, an inorganic compound containing the rare earth element lanthanum and oxygen. It is used to develop ferroelectric materials, and in optical materials.-Properties:...
. The alkali metal sesquioxides are exceptions and contain both peroxide
Peroxide
A peroxide is a compound containing an oxygen–oxygen single bond or the peroxide anion .The O−O group is called the peroxide group or peroxo group. In contrast to oxide ions, the oxygen atoms in the peroxide ion have an oxidation state of −1.The simplest stable peroxide is hydrogen peroxide...
, ( O22−) and superoxide
Superoxide
A superoxide, also known by the obsolete name hyperoxide, is a compound that possesses the superoxide anion with the chemical formula O2−. The systematic name of the anion is dioxide. It is important as the product of the one-electron reduction of dioxygen O2, which occurs widely in nature...
, (O2−) ions, e.g., Rb2O3 is formulated [(Rb+)4(O22−)(O2−)2]. Sesquioxides of iron and aluminium are found in soil.
Sesquioxidizing, meaning the creation of a sesquioxide, is the highest scoring word that would fit on a Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
board, though it does not actually appear in any official Scrabble dictionary. The word first occurred in 1976 in Josepha Heifetz Byrne's Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (ISBN 0806504986), though the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
already listed sesquioxidized and sesquioxidation. One could theoretically score 2044 points in a single move, when otherwise only words from the official Scrabble word list
SOWPODS
SOWPODS is the word list used in tournament Scrabble in most countries except the USA, Thailand and Canada. The term SOWPODS is derived from the anagram of the two acronyms OSPD and OSW, these being the original two official dictionaries used in various parts of the world at the time...
are used.
Sesquioxide was the Word of the Day on Artwiculate on August 11, 2011.