sulfur oxide
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun A chemical compound composed of sulfur and oxygen atoms. "Sulfur oxide" is a general term for any of several such compounds, which are often produced by the combustion of fossil fuels and can contribute to environmental pollution like acid rain.
Usage
"Sulfur oxide" is used as a countable noun, typically in scientific, industrial, and environmental contexts to refer to these compounds collectively or individually. The plural is "sulfur oxides."
Examples
- Noun:
- The new scrubber technology significantly reduces sulfur oxide emissions from the power plant.
- Sulfur oxides are a major component of industrial smog.
- Scientists measured the concentration of sulfur oxide in the atmospheric sample.
Advanced Usage
- "Sulfur oxide" vs. "Sulphur oxide": The spelling "sulfur" is standard in American English and modern scientific contexts, while "sulphur" is an older variant still sometimes used in British English. Both refer to the same chemical element and its oxides.
- In technical discussions, specific oxides are named, such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and sulfur trioxide (SO₃), which are the most common and economically significant sulfur oxides.
Variants and Related Words
- Sulphur oxide (n): An alternative spelling for sulfur oxide.
- Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) (n): A specific, pungent gas and a major air pollutant.
- Sulfur trioxide (SO₃) (n): A reactive compound that forms sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.
- Oxide (n): A binary compound of oxygen with another element.
Synonyms
- SOx: An abbreviation commonly used in environmental science and engineering to represent the collective mixture of sulfur oxides.
- Sulphur oxides: (See variant spelling above).
Related Phrases and Compounds
- Sulfur oxide emissions: The release of sulfur oxides into the atmosphere, often regulated by environmental laws.
- Sulfur oxide scrubber: A pollution-control device that removes sulfur oxides from exhaust gases.
Noun
- any of several oxides of sulphur