English for chemists

Fascinating Phosphorus
Phosphorus is one of the most interesting of all the elements. Its peculiar property of glowing in the dark places it in a spccial and rare category. For some unexplained reason, man has always been intrigued by any substance with phosphorescent properties.
1Ъс history of phosphorus is no less interesting than the element itself. It was first prepared in 1669 by a German alchemist Hcnnig Brand, who like every other alchemist of his day, was searching for the elusive philosopher’s stone. We can never tell you what gave him the idea that his magic stone could be found in human urine, but, nevertheless, he carried on a scries of elaborate experiments with urine. After much experimentation he could obtain a yellowish waxy substance by distilling a residue from the urine. We can imagine how thrilled he must have been when he noticed that the strange substance glowed in the dark.
Brand kept the details of the preparation of this strange substance se-cret, but the news soon leaked out. He then sold his formula to other chem­ ists, who also made the element in secret. The method of isolating phosphorus was made known to the world in general only in 1737. It was soon discovered that the clement could be obtained from bones, and the unpleasant method of obtaining it from urine could be abandoned. It is truly remarkable that Brand could prepare phosphorus with very limited equipment and knowledge then available. Even today with all of our mod­ em equipment, phosphorus is not isolated with ease.
Phosphorus may be fascinating, but is also intensely poisonous. It should never be allowed to touch the skin, as it causes painful bums which are extremely difficult to heal. We must always handle it with forceps and keep it under water when it is not in use.

Phosphorus has a garlic-like colour. Its fumes are poisonous too.

W ords and W ord-Com binations to Be M emorized
allow, categoiy, detail, distil, in general, handle, isolate, itself, limit, method, notice, phosphorus, poisonous, preparation, rare, reason, for this (that) reason, residue, strange, urine, wax
Ex. 6. Give the Russian equivalents for the following:
be one of the most interesting, a peculiar property, a spccial category, for some reason, phosphorescent properties, nevertheless, carry on experiments, a series of experiments, keep the details of the preparation secret, in secret, make the method known to the world in general, obtain some element, abandon some method, very limited equipment, available knowledge, isolate an element with ease, be poisonous, cause pain, be extremely difficult, handle phosphorus, keep under water

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Ex. 7. Give the English equivalents for the following:
редкая категория, быть интересным, в темноте, по какой-то при­ чине, сам элемент, как всякий другой алхнмик, искать что-либо, на­ вести на мысль, проводить ряд экспериментов, желтоватое вещество, заметить какое-то свойство, держать в секрете, метод выделения фос­ фора, вообще, только в 1737 году, получать элемент из, имеющееся оборудование, даже сегодня, современное оборудование, быть ядо­ витым, обращаться с, держать (хранить) под водой
Ex. 8. Fill in the blanks with prepositions where necessary. /л, under, at, with, of, on, by,for

1. 
   Phosphorus is one ... the most interesting ... all the elements.
   

2. 
   Phosphorus has a peculiar property ... glowing ... the dark. 3 .... some unexplained reason man has always been interested ... any substance ...
   

phosphorescent properties. 4. Phosphorus was first prepared ... 1669 ... a German alchemist Brand. 5. Brand earned ... a series ... experiments to obtain phosphorus. 6. Brand kept the details... the preparation... phosphorus

... secret. 7. The method ... isolating phosphorus was made known ... the world... general only... 1737.8. Brand prepared phosphorus... very limited equipment and knowledge. 9 present phosphorus is not isolated... ease.

10. 
    Phosphorus should be kept... water when it is not... use.
    

Ex. 9. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to the word one/ones.

1. Hydrogen atom contains only one electron and one proton. 2. Red phosphorus is more stable than the white one. 3. An element is a substance which consists of only one kind of atoms. 4. The salts formed by hydrochloric acid arc called chlorides, the ones formed by sulphuric acid arc called sulphides. 5. Chlorinc exists in two isotopic forms: the one has the atomic weight of 35 and the other— of 37.6. Phosphorus is one of the elements of Group V. 7. Reactions of dilute acids and the conccntratcd ones arc not alike. 8. Phosphorus exists in several allotropic modifications, yellow and red arc the most common ones. 9. The chemical properties of ozone are similar to those of oxygen, but one must point out that ozone is more chemically active. 10. Phosphorus is readily dissolved in carbon disulphidc, one part of it will dissolve nine parts of phosphorus. 11. This modem apparatus gives more accuratc results than the old one and it is much easier to handle.
Ex. 10. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the verbs may, might, could, ought.
1. Phosphorus may be fascinating, but it is also intensely poisonous. 2.Whcncvcr you may work with phosphorus, remember, it must not be handled with bare hands. 3. The instruction was quite clcar so that the students might perform the analysis themselves. 4. Such unexpected results

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might be accountcd for by the fact that the substancc was not very pure. 5. However slow the reaction may procccd, it gives a good yield. 6. They suppose they could finish their scries of experiments by Friday. 7. The calculations ought to be done after cach scries of measurements. 8. Important as this question may be, wc have no time to discuss it now. 9. In order that the glassware might be used, it should be thoroughly washed. 10. The author gives a very detailed description of the properties of cach clement lest anything may be missed. 11. It is quite dear that the reaction could go to completion after some heating. 12. The methods of preparation of phosphorus could have been mentioned together with the description of properties. 13. The experiment ought to be repeated several times, so that you could get some results to compare. 14. In the middle of the 18th ccn-tury it was discovered that phosphorus could be obtained from bones.

15. 
    Oxygen and hydrogen could be obtained by the clcctrolysis of water.
    
16. 
    The question how many elements arc essential to life couldn’t be answered with ccrtainty. 17. Some generalizations ought to be made about the role of various elements. 18. The schcmc of the proccss is given in addition to the photograph so that the reader may understand it better.
    

19. 
    Such research might tell us about the carbon chcmistry. 20.Thcsc observations reveal chcmical mechanisms that could only have been uncovered by studies of reactions at high energies.
    

Ex. 11. Translate the scntcnccs into English.

1. Фосфор обладает интересным свойством светиться в темно­ те. 2. История фосфора не мснсс интересна, чем сам элемент. 3. Фос­ фор был впервые приготовлен в 1669 году, но метод его приготов­ ления стал известен миру только в 1737 году. 4. Как и все алхимики, свои метод приготовления фосфора Бранд держал в секрете. 5. Не­ обходимо помнить, что фосфор очень ядовит. 6. Известны несколь­ ко аллотропных форм фосфора. 7. Фосфор нелегко выделять даже при современном оборудовании. 8. Одна из форм фосфора — это желтоватое воскообразное вещество, такой фосфор называют жел­ тым или белым.
Ex. 12. M ake up questions to the italicized parts of the sentences.
1. For some unexplained reason, man has always been intrigued by any substance with phosphorescent properties (3). 2. It was soon discovered that phosphorus could be obtainedfrom bones (3). 3. Its peculiar property o f glowing in the dark placcs phosphorus in a special and rare category (3).
Ex. 13. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the most interesting property of phosphorus? 2. When was phosphorus first prepared? 3. What kind of substancc is it? 4. What methods were used to prepare phosphorus? 5. Why is it ncccssary to be careful working with phosphorus? 6. How must phosphorus be kept when

it is not in use?

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Scction II
Упр. 1. Прочтите заглавие текста 11 В. Скажите, чему будет посвя­ щен этот текст? Что вы об этом знаете?
Упр. 2. Назовите значения следующих интернациональных слов:
modification, allotropic, violent, regular, amorphous, action, catalyze, separate, crystallization, distillation, condense, disulphidc, spontaneously
Упр. 3. Определите значения выделенных слов по контексту. Сино­ нимы в скобках помогут вам.

1.