notes on nomenclature clature may he compared to the above differences. We may sct the g,ai of one and only one name for each compound & rest cmtent with more than one name as long as each leads uniouelv to a definite structure. For conversation, research reporting, and teaching, a small varietv of names not onlv is tolerable but mav even he desirable, since it permits nuances of emphasis and highlights different relationshios. However. in indexine there is need for variants in names for a single comlimitation of oound. Otherwise. multinle entries for the same compound br cross-references from bne name to another would be necessarv. In any extensive index, the cost of these multiple entries becomes intolerable. Even more important is the convenience to the user. Hence it is clear why the IUPAC recommmdations which stress systematic names are more permissive than the svstrm used in Chrmrcol Abrtror.1~which nerds only a single entry for a given compound in order to assizr the user, r u meet deadlines in production and to live a i t h ~ nits budget. Hoth kinds ~~1'nomenclature;'systematicbut-varialde" and "s~ngle-name-for-a-gi\,enmrture,' have their own areas of usefulness. Neirher should have dominance over the other.
. .
University of South Florida Tompa 33620
KURT LOENING ROY M. ADAMS
Chemicol Ab%eoosService Calumbu$. Ohio 43210
Beover FoIII,
Geneva Cdlege Pennrylvanio 1501 0
Systematic versus Index Nomenclature
Chemists, uniformly, are proud of the nomenclature of their science and point to two events as the most significant in the development of inorganic and organic nomenclature, respectively: the publication of Mdthode de Nomenclature Chimique (1787) (1-3) and the Geneva Congress (1892) (4-7). These events mark the beginning of systematic nomenclature. However, it is essential that we are certain what is meant by the term systematic. If all substances were given names indicating color or reactions or discoverer, in a limited sense the names would he systematic. However, truly systematic names nermit the construction of the structural renresentation from its name. The significance of the Guyton de Mor\,eau, et al. uuhlicntim was thnt it introduced two basic orincivles: (a) the indication of both the acidic (electronegativej and basic (electropositive) portions of a salt, and (h) the provision for different acids and bases derived from the same element. The significance of the Geneva System was relating names to structures. profound extension Both of these svstems hate undergone . . and revision. Organic nomenclature has mainrained relating names 118 structures hut has had to continually expand and modify procedures to avoid ambiguity, to keep pace with ever increasing cumplexitv, and to incorporate ever incr&sing refinements in the matter of structure. Inorganic nomenclature first pursued the goal of relatingname to stoichiometric composition and much later that of relatingnames to structures. The most important aspect of the present day movement toward common eoals for bath inoreanic and organic is relating names to structures. Chtmisti seek to d e \ , e l o theories ~ which explain the DroDerties and behaviors of matkids as observed in the laboratory and elsewhere. They are often chided by their colleagues in physics and mathematics because too frequently they are content to construct a theory which agrees with observation without making certain that i t is the only theory which does so. The physicist seeks to establish his theories by prwf which would meet the mathematician's criteria of proof. For the chemist this is not always possible hecause of the very complexity of the systems which he studies. Systems of nomen-
Literature Cited C. L.,and de Fouruoy,A. F., "MLthudedeNomenelatvreChirniqua,"Psris,1787. (21 Theehove publication w a s p r e d e d by twoothen by Guyton de Morveau. J. Phys., 19. 310,382 (1782) and Ann. Chim. ei Phys., 111 25.205 117781. (31 The nomenclature of 11) -as given wide publieily by Lavoiiierin"Trait4 Elementaire deChimie."Deterville, Paris, 1789. 141 Picset,A..Ach. Sei. Phys Not.. [iiil 27.485 (1892). 15) Tiemsnn,F.,Rer., 26,1595 11893). 161 Cornbe, A,, in Wurtz's Dictonnoirr dr chimie pure at nppiiqula. 1894. Supplement (1) Guyton de Morveau, L. B.,Lavoisior,A. L., Berthollet.
2, Partie 1, pp. 1060-76.
(71 Verkade, P.B., Buli Soc Chim. Fronco. (6). 1807
,,,,w,,
(1966):1111,4W9 (1967): (41,1358
Levels of Communication via Nomenclature Chemists seldom all amee. on matters of no- . esneciallv . menclature. There are many reasons for this, hut certainly the failure to distineuish amone" levels of communication is one of them. There are some parallels between the names by which .neonle . are identified and those used to identifv chemical substances. Within a close familv circle. names of endearment are used which, unless one knows the family intimately, have no discernible relation to the names on their birth certificates or on their teachers' rolls. Among close associates nicknames are used commonly. Only occasionally does a person acquire such a reputation as to he known generally throughout his professional circles by such nicknames as Rocky or Speed or Bergie. The system of family names prefaced by a given name and a middle initial serves satisfactorily under most circumstances to identify a specific individual. However, anyone with a name like William Smith knows that his name is shared by many others even when he adds a middle initial such as C. Within a circle of relatives William C., Sr., Jr., 11,111,etc. distinguishes the individual fairly well. However, the William C. Smith in an entirely different family group might receive mail intended for any one of the other group. Social Security recognized the necessity of distinguishing each individual person and assigned numbers for this purpose. Although we may not like t o h e known by a number, there comes a d a y when we don't ohject so strenuously because it may well insure our monthly Volume 53, Number 8. August 1976
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social security benefits since no one else has that particular identifying number. As indicated previously, chemical nomenclature has some resemblances to names for people. In a particular laboratory, where communication is oral or recorded in a notebook. cmnpounds may be known by names which have many of the characteristics of names used within a family circle. On moving to a new location some years ago, one of us encountered a bottle lahelled "Miner's ketone." Handbooks, lists of trade names. etc.. were of no h e l ~in identifvine the comnound. Later,'an oider memher o i the ~ e ~ a r h eanswered kt the question thus: "Sure, that's dipivaloylethane; I was around when Miner made it. The process is described in this thesis." During the days of the Manhattan District, chemical suhstances were dubbed "postum," "cocoa," "crazy water crystals," etc., deliberately. Within a closed circle, everyone understood, and those outside were supposed to be confused. There are names used within a specific field of endeavor either for an oral report or a prelimin& announcement: oxine, acac, big, EDTA, ticle, etc. These words are short and thoroughly understood by those in the field. Outsiders are often confused even though that is not the intent. Now consider a c o u ~ l eof situations which are not a t all uncommon, especially to one who pioneers in new fields or becomes a memher of a multidisciplinary team. Anyone who suddenly becomes interested in a new field runs headlong into a barrier of terms meanineless to him. vet ~erfectlvfamiliar to those who have been in the field f& a t k e . here is the specialist who feels that his work has significance outside his own field w d wishes to communicate t(;~heseother scientists. How much he is handicapped by the iarron of b ~ field s which means nothing to his n& audiencei his predicament was brought home to one of us during a stay in Egypt. A professor was obviously distraught by the preparation of a talk on chemistry to a lay audience. On questioning, the distress was found to occur because the talk was to be in Arabic. a laneuaee without words for the simple operations performed in a chemical lahoratorv. The words used in the laboratorv were all borrowed from &her languages and unintelligible tb a lay audience. If a person wishes for the ultimate record of his work in a primary journal to be broadly understood, it must be recorded in a standard or systemat~clanguage. This often involves longer terms for which many have aningrained dislike. Nevu
496 / Journal of Chemical Education
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ertheless, they insure that the hearerheader can translate them accurately even if he is not familiar with them. T o circumvent the use of long names many chemists use abbreviations or codes. This practice is perfectly acceptable, provided the full name is given where the shorter symbol is introduced. The index compiler has even further restrictions placed on him. If the compilation is of considerable size, the cost of duplicate entries for a single compound may be prohibitively great. Thus, the nomenclature permitted must not only he systematic but so precise as to lead to one and only one name for a particular compound. Of necessity, index nomenclature is rigid. Incidentally, Chemical Abstracts Service registry numbers bear some relation to Social Security numbers. At Chemical Abstracts Service a given chemical structure has a unique number no matter what name or names have been used-in the primary literature to describe it. I t is essential then that the user of nomenclature keeo in mind at all times the level a t which he is communicating,~d use that nomenclature which insures communication to the particular audience he desires to reach. That which serves adequately in his own laboratory or his own field mav not onlv fail to communicate fully, but often appears as hadhahitso; sloppiness to a wider audience. So perhaps the penalty that all must pay is careful choice of language at all times. Particularly, it is essential that we not impair the precision of systematic nomenclature by using i t imprecisely. Good mot& are: "Watch your language" and "consider your audience."
New Edition of the Green Book A new edition (1973) of "Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units" (I) appeared in 1975. I t contains many items of general interest to teachers and practicing chemists: physical quantities, names and symbols; units and their symbols; numerical values of physical quantities and units; symbols for chemical elements, nuclides, and particles; symbols for spectroscopy; conventions concerning signs of electrode potentials, etc.; values of fundamental constants; and an appendix on the definition of activities and related quantities. Contrary to most revisions, this one is three pages shorter than the previous one. Literature Cited (11 '"Manug)of Symbols and Terminology for Phyaimehemid Quantities and unitr," Butterworths. London, 1913.41 pp.
