More Chemical Names of Common Substances

Common /
Household Name

Chemical Name^2,3

Molecular Formula

Notes:

Alcohol, wood

methanol, methyl alcohol

CH₃OH

Many uses, including as a solvent, and as an antifreeze in pipelines and windshield washer fluid. Highly toxic to humans

Alcohol, grain

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol

C₂H₅OH

Many uses, incl. as a fuel (e.g. for lightweight rocket-powered racing aircraft), in alcoholic beverages, as an antiseptic and as a solvent.

Alcohol, rubbing

2-propanol, propan-2-ol,
propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol

C₃H₈O

Many uses, including in healthcare / clinical situations. Examples of uses incl. as a cooling, soothing application for bedridden patients and athletes, for cleansing surgeons' hands and instruments and for the disinfection of skin prior to penetration by a hypodermic needle. Also used as an antiseptic against vegetative bacteria, fungi and viruses - but not spores.

Note that the entries above concern alcohols with one, two and three carbon atoms respectively. Methanol, ethanol and propanol are the first three alcohols in the homologous series of linear alcohols. However, note that 'rubbing alcohol' is strictly 2-propanol (rather than 1-propanol).
These are also listed below in alphabetical order of 'Grain Alcohol', 'Rubbing Alcohol' and 'Wood Alcohol' for ease of reference.

Aqua regia

1:3 mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids

HNO₃ : 3 HCl

Highly corrosive, fuming yellow or red solution, also called nitro-hydrochloric acid. Various chemical uses incl. etching, cleaning glassware of organic compounds, and producing chloroauric acid.

Baking soda

sodium bicarbonate, also known as: sodium hydrogen carbonate

NaHCO₃

An amphoteric compound. Aqueous solutions are mildly alkaline. Mainly used in baking to react with other ingredients to release CO₂, which helps dough rise. Other uses incl. for neuralizing acids and bases, medical uses and cleaning uses.

Banana oil

amyl acetate, isoamyl acetate

C₇H₁₄O₂

Used as a 'banana flavour' in some foods, also as a solvent for some varnishes and nitrocellulose lacquers. A honey bee pheromone and used to attract many honeybees to a small area.

Chloroform

Trichloromethane

CHCl₃

There are many natural sources of chloroform, incl. certain seaweeds and algae. Used to be a popular anesthetic until found to be toxic, then replaced by alternatives. Used as laboratory solvent. Hazardous.

Chrome yellow

Lead(II) chromate

PbCrO₄

Important because of the colour associated with (because from) this pigment - a bright yellow as seen on traditional American School Buses. However, the actual chemical has now largely been replaced by others that generate a very similar colour.

Cream of tartar

Potassium hydrogen tartrate

KHC₄H₄O₆

Byproduct of winemaking.
Most household uses concern cooking (preparation of food), also limited cleaning uses.

Ether

Ethyl ether, also known as
ethoxy ethane

C₄H₁₀O
or can be written:
(C₂H₅)₂O

One of the ether group of organic compounds. Used to be called 'sweet oil of vitriol' (oleum dulce vitrioli). Has various uses, as a fuel, in the laboratory and previously as an anesthetic in medicine.

Glauber's salt

Hydrated sodium sulphate

Na₂SO₄

Historically used in the manufacture of paper and glass, as well as as a cathartic and diuretic.

Alcohol, grain

Ethanol or ethyl alcohol

C₂H₅OH

Many uses, incl. as a fuel (e.g. for lightweight rocket-powered racing aircraft), in alcoholic beverages, as an antiseptic and as a solvent.

Green vitriol

Hydrated ferrous sulphate

FeSO₄

Known since ancient times as copperas, has modern uses as a colourant (in the manufacture of inks) and in horticulture where it is used as a lawn conditioner and moss killer.

Inverted sugar

Mixture of glucose and fructose

C₆H₁₂O₆

and
C₆H₁₂O₆

Inverted sugar gives more powerful preserving qualities (i.e. a longer shelf life) to products that use it than does sucrose. Glucose and fructose have the same empirical formulae, but slightly different structures - the the two molecular formulae in the previous column are the same.

Laughing gas

Dinitrogen oxide

N₂O

Best known as an early anesthetic drug. Has many other uses apart from in medicine, incl. as an oxidizer in rocket motors, in internal combustion engines in vehicle racing, and as an aerosol spray propellant.

Limestone

Calcium carbonate

CaCO₃

A sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcite and/or aragonite. Limestone has been widely used in architecture worlwide.

Lithopone

Mixture of zinc sulphide and barium sulphate

ZnS and BaSO₄

A white pigment used in interior paints and in some enamels.

Lye

Sodium hydroxide

NaOH

Used in products for cleaning, unblocking sinks, drains and even toilets. Highly corrosive alkali. Dangerous. Also known as caustic soda.

Marsh gas

Methane

CH₄

Main use is as a fuel. Also used in some industrial chemical processes.

MEK

Methyl ethyl ketone, butanone

C₄H₈O
= CH₃COC₂H₅

A common solvent used in processes involving gums, resins, cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose coatings and in vinyl films. One of the organic chemicals known as ketones.

Paris green

Double salt of copper acetate and copper arsenite

Cu(C₂H₃O₂)₂ ·3Cu(AsO₂)₂

Used to be a popular pigment used in artists' paints. Was once used to kill rats in Parisian sewers - hence its common name. Has been used as an insecticide for produce, e.g. certain fruits, but now widely considered toxic.

Picric acid

2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP)

C₆H₃N₃O₇

Main use in explosives. Various other uses incl. in organic chemistry, metallurgy, to produce a fixative solution for histology samples, and even in workplace drug testing.

Plaster of Paris

Calcium sulphate hemihydrate

CaSO₄⋅½ H₂O

Several uses (e.g. in art / sculpture) but primarily a building material similar to mortar or cement. Plaster of Paris is initially a dry powder that is mixed with water to form a paste - which liberates heat (generating temperatures of up to around 60°C), then hardens. Can be hazardous.

Prussian blue

Ferric ferrocyanide

Fe₇(CN)₁₈ ⋅14 H₂O

Probably best known as a synthetic paint pigment. Also has many other uses incl. as a stain in histopathology, for spotting metal surfaces in toolmaking, in analytical chemistry and in medicine.

Pyrite ("Fool's Gold")

Iron disulphide

FeS₂

Naturally occurring crystal found in the earth's crust. Of interest to collectors of crystals, rocks and minerals.

Alcohol, rubbing

2-propanol, propan-2-ol,
propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol

C₃H₈O

Many uses, including in healthcare/clinical situations. Examples of uses incl. as a cooling, soothing application for bedridden patients and athletes, for cleansing surgeons' hands and instruments and for the disinfection of skin prior to penetration by a hypodermic needle. Also used as an antiseptic against vegetative bacteria, fungi and viruses - but not spores.

Slaked lime

Calcium hydroxide

Ca(OH)₂

Slaked lime (also known as quicklime) is a white, caustic and alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature. Unstable and potentially hazardous.

TNT

Trinitrotoluene

C₇H₅N₃O₆

Among the most commonly used explosives. Valued due to its relative insensitivity to shock and friction, which reduces risk of accidental detonation.

White lead

basic lead carbonate

(PbCO₃)₂ ·Pb(OH)₂

Previously used as an ingredient in lead paint and in a cosmetic product. However, now banned in many countries due to fears of lead poisoning.

Wood alcohol

Methyl alcohol, methanol

CH₃OH

Many uses, including as a solvent, and as an antifreeze in pipelines and windshield washer fluid. Highly toxic to humans