730KINETIC THEORY
increase in the collisions of molecules which have many chemical awards, he was the recipient of the
the necessary activation energy; as a result, the rate Priestley Medal as well as distinguished Medals of
of the reaction will increase. Also, if by means of a Honor from three Presidents of the U.S. President
catalyst, the activiation energy is decreased, more Eisenhower appointed him as his assistant for sci-
colliding molecules will react and again the rate of ence and technology, and he was chairman of the
Science Advisory Committee from 1957 to 1963.
reaction will increase.
Among his many achievements in both chemistry
Note: Adapted from an article by Roger Gilmont in
and physics, he was a world-famous authority on
“Encyclopedia of Chemistry” Hampel and Hawley,
explosives. A key member of the Manhattan Project,
editors, 3rd ed., 1973.
he devised the detonating mechanism for the first
See thermodynamics, chemical; thermodynamics.
experimental atomic bomb in New Mexico, at which
time he was head of the Los Alamos Laboratory.
kinetic theory. A theory of matter based on the
Though he ranks high among those who developed
mathematical description of the relationship be-
the bomb, he perceived the awesome destructive
tween the volumes, temperatures, and pressures of
potential of nuclear weapons and became an ardent
gases (P-V-T phenomena). This relationship is sum-
opponent of their future use. Resigning from the
marized in the so-called gas laws as follows: (1)
Pentagon in 1967, he returned to teaching at Har-
Boyle’s law (at constant temperature the volume of a
vard. Among other distinguished organizations, he
gas is inversely proportional to its pressure); (2)
was a member of the Royal Society of London, the
Charles’s law (at constant volume the pressure
AAAS, and the ACS.
exerted by a gas is proportional to its absolute tem-
perature); (3) Avogadro’s law (equal volumes of the
Kjeldahl flask. A round bottom flask with a
same or different gases under the same conditions of
long wide neck that is used in the determination of
temperature and pressure contain the same number
nitrogen by Kjeldahl’s method.
of molecules).
The theory involves the basic concept of matter as
composed atoms and/or molecules that move more
Kjeldahl test. An analytical method for deter-
rapidly (gases) or vibrate more energetically (solids) mination of nitrogen in certain organic compounds.
as temperature increaes. Thus, crystals melt at a It involves addition of a small amount of anhydrous
point where the heat or energy input exceeds the potassium sulfate to the test compound, followed by
bond energy of the solid state. See kinetics, heating the mixture with concentrated sulfuric acid,
chemical; gas; thermodynamics. often with a catalyst such as copper sulfate. As a
result ammonia is formed. After alkalyzing the mix-
ture with sodium hydroxide, the ammonia is sepa-
kinetin. (6-furfurylaminopurine).
rated by distillation, collected in standard acid, and
CAS: 525-79-1. C
10
H
9
N
5
O. A plant growth regulator
the nitrogen determined by back-titration.
used to promote growth in bacterial cultures and as
dormancy breaker.
“Kjelgest” [Thomas]. TM for anhydrous gran-
ular magnesium perchlorate for use as a desiccant.
king’s green. See copper acetoarsenite.
“Kleanrol” [Du Pont]. TM for a soldering
kinin. (cytokinin). One of a group of plant
flux crystal based on zinc chloride and ammonium
growth regulators that promote cell division and
chloride.
differentiation.
See kinetin.
“Klearol” [Crompton & Knowles]. TM for
a white mineral oil, technical grade, d 0.828–0.838.
Kipp’s apparatus. An apparatus for producing
Use: Cosmetic preparations, eggshell preservation.
a gas by the action of a liquid on a solid that consists
of three globes. The top one has a funnel-shaped
extension in to the bottom globe which stores the
Klein’s reagent. A saturated solution of cadmi-
liquid. The middle globe contains the solid. um borotungstate, formula variously given, possibly
2CdO•B
2
O
3
•18H
2
O, d 3.28.
Use: Separation of minerals by specific gravity.
Kishner cyclopropane synthesis. Forma-
tion of cyclopropane derivatives by decomposition
of pyrazolines formed by reacting ␣,-unsaturated
“Klucel” [Hercules]. TM for hydroxypropyl
ketones or aldehydes with hydrazine. cellulose.
Use: A thickener for paint removers, tablet binders,
aqueous film-coating polymers, sustained-release
Kistiakowsky, George B. (1900–1982).
matrix polymer for pharmaceuticals.
Born in Kiev, Russia, where he fought in the White
Russian Army, he studied in Germany under Max-
well Bodenheim, where he obtained his doctorate in
Klug, Aaron S. (1926– ). A South Afri-
chemistry. In 1926, he came to the U.S. and became can−born chemist who won the Nobel Prize for
an American citizen in 1933. For 41 years, he was chemistry in 1982 for his work with the electron
Professor of Chemistry at Harvard; in addition to microscope and research into the structure of nucleic