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valencemore about valence

valence


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Valance  \Val"ance\,  n.  [Perhaps  fr  OF  avalant  descending, 
  hanging  down  p.  pr  of  avaler  to  go  down  let  down  descent 
  (cf.  {Avalanche});  but  probably  from  the  town  of  Valence  in 
  France.] 
  1.  Hanging  drapery  for  a  bed,  couch,  window,  or  the  like 
  especially  that  which  hangs  around  a  bedstead,  from  the 
  bed  to  the  floor.  [Written  also  {valence}.] 
 
  Valance  of  Venice  gold  in  needlework.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  The  drooping  edging  of  the  lid  of  a  trunk.  which  covers 
  the  joint  when  the  lid  is  closed. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Valence  \Va"lence\,  n.  [From  L.  valens  -entis,  p.  pr  of  valere 
  to  have  power,  to  be  strong.  See  {Valiant}.]  (Chem.) 
  The  degree  of  combining  power  of  an  atom  (or  radical)  as 
  shown  by  the  number  of  atoms  of  hydrogen  (or  of  other  monads, 
  as  chlorine,  sodium,  etc.)  with  which  it  will  combine,  or  for 
  which  it  can  be  substituted,  or  with  which  it  can  be 
  compared;  thus  an  atom  of  hydrogen  is  a  monad,  and  has  a 
  valence  of  one  the  atoms  of  oxygen,  nitrogen,  and  carbon  are 
  respectively  dyads,  triads,  and  tetrads,  and  have  a  valence 
  respectively  of  two  three  and  four 
 
  Note:  The  valence  of  certain  elements  varies  in  different 
  compounds.  Valence  in  degree  may  extend  as  high  as 
  seven  or  eight  as  in  the  cases  of  iodine  and  osmium 
  respectively.  The  doctrine  of  valence  has  been  of 
  fundamental  importance  in  distinguishing  the 
  equivalence  from  the  atomic  weight,  and  is  an  essential 
  factor  in  explaining  the  chemical  structures  of 
  compounds. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  valence 
  n  1:  (biology)  a  relative  capacity  to  unite  or  react  or  interact 
  as  with  antigens  or  a  biological  substrate  [syn:  {valency}] 
  2:  (chemistry)  a  property  of  atoms  or  radicals;  their  combining 
  power  given  in  terms  of  the  number  of  hydrogen  atoms  (or 
  the  equivalent)  [syn:  {valency}] 




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