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Trivial name

Trivial name is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Trivial name rather than just read about it. In short: In chemistry, a trivial name is a non-systematic name for a chemical substance. This means that the name is not recognized according to the rules of any formal system of chemical nomenclature such as IUPAC inorganic or IUPAC organic nomenclature.

Trivial name — main illustration
Trivial name — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Trivial name belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Trivial name to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Trivial name from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In chemistry, a trivial name is a non-systematic name for a chemical substance. This means that the name is not recognized according to the rules of any formal system of chemical nomenclature such as IUPAC inorganic or IUPAC organic nomenclature. A trivial name is not a formal name and is usually a common name. Generally, trivial names are not useful in describing the essential properties of the thing named, such as the molecular structure of a chemical compound. And, in some cases, trivial names can be ambiguous or carry different meanings in different industries or different geographic regions (for example, a trivial name such as white metal can mean various things). A limited number of trivial chemical names are retained names, an accepted part of the nomenclature. Trivial names often arise in the common language; they may come from historical usages in, for example, alchemy. Many trivial names pre-date the institution of formal naming conventions. Names can be based on a property of the chemical, including appearance (color, taste or smell), consistency, and crystal structure; a place where it was found or where the discoverer comes from; the name of a scientist; a mythological figure; an astronomical body; the shape of the molecule; and even fictional figures. All elements that have been isolated have trivial names.

Definitions In scientific documents, international treaties, patents and legal definitions, names for chemicals are needed that identify them unambiguously. This need is satisfied by systematic names. One such system, established by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), was established in 1950. Other systems have been developed by the American Chemical Society, the International Organization for Standardization, and the World Health Organization. However, chemists still use many names that are not systematic because they are traditional or because they are more convenient than the systematic names. These are called trivial names. The word "trivial", often used in a pejorative sense, was intended to mean "commonplace". In addition to trivial names, chemists have constructed semi-trivial names by appending a standard symbol to a trivial stem. Some trivial and semi-trivial names are so widely used that they have been officially adopted by IUPAC; these are known as retained names.

Pesticide common names

The common names used for pesticides did not become commonplace through repeated informal usage, The names are granted by ISO committee (TC81), who approve the common name according to ISO1750.

Elements

Traditional names of elements are trivial, some originating in alchemy. IUPAC has accepted these names, but has also defined systematic names of elements that have not yet been prepared. It has adopted a procedure by which the scientists who are credited with preparing an element can propose a new name. Once the IUPAC has accepted such a (trivial) name, it replaces the systematic name.

Origins

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Trivial name: The element mercury was named after the Roman god of the same name (painting by Hendrik Goltzius).
The element mercury was named after the Roman god of the same name (painting by Hendrik Goltzius).
Trivial name: A plaque commemorating a mine in Ytterby where ore was obtained from which four new elements were isolated.
A plaque commemorating a mine in Ytterby where ore was obtained from which four new elements were isolated.
Trivial name: Curium was named after Pierre and Marie Curie.
Curium was named after Pierre and Marie Curie.
Trivial name: Red hematite-rich sample from a banded iron formation in Wyoming.
Red hematite-rich sample from a banded iron formation in Wyoming.
Trivial name illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Trivial name

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Trivial name claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Trivial name before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Trivial name ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Trivial name

In research
Trivial name appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Trivial name in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Trivial name is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chemical nomenclature, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Trivial name outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Trivial name in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Trivial name means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Trivial name out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Trivial name in simple terms?

In chemistry, a trivial name is a non-systematic name for a chemical substance. This means that the name is not recognized according to the rules of any formal system of chemical nomenclature such as IUPAC inorganic or IUPAC organic nomenclature.

Why does Trivial name matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Trivial name?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Trivial name.

Tags

  • Chemical nomenclature

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