chemistry

Zdeněk Matějka

Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka rather than just read about it. In short: Zdeněk Matějka (30 April 1937 – 2 October 2006) was a Czech chemist known for his contributions to development of ion exchange. Life and work Zdeněk Matějka was born on 30 April 1937 in Teplice.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Zdeněk Matějka (30 April 1937 – 2 October 2006) was a Czech chemist known for his contributions to development of ion exchange.

Life and work

Zdeněk Matějka was born on 30 April 1937 in Teplice. In 1955 he moved to Prague, to study chemistry at Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. He received his master's degree in 1960. While working in Water Research Institute of ČKD Dukla corp., he started external doctor course at Department of Heat Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. His supervisor was Prof. František Karas, founder of the department. In 1967 he received his PhD degree for his research on electrodeionization of water. Later, in 1972, he moved from industry to university. For many years he worked as assistant professor on fundamentals of ion exchange. In 1990, after the Velvet Revolution, he was promoted to associate professor. His research group worked mainly on selective removal of heavy metals via chelating ion exchangers and removal of nitrates from water. In 1997, he became head of Department of Power Engineering. For his teaching and scientific achievements, he was promoted to full professor in 2000. He retired soon after in 2002 at age of 65 (mandatory retirement) but he was still leading his research group working on part-time. Zdeněk Matějka died in Prague after a long illness on 2 October 2006. During his work at Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague he supervised about 60 MSc and 20 PhD students. He established numerous scientific contacts worldwide namely in Japan, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey.

External links Prof. Zdeněk Matějka - History of Ion Exchange at ICT Prague (article)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Zdeněk Matějka

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka

In research: Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka 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: Zdeněk Matějka is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1937 births, 2006 deaths, 20th-century Czech scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Zdeněk Matějka in simple terms?

Zdeněk Matějka (30 April 1937 – 2 October 2006) was a Czech chemist known for his contributions to development of ion exchange. Life and work Zdeněk Matějka was born on 30 April 1937 in Teplice.

Why does Zdeněk Matějka 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 Zdeněk Matějka?

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 Zdeněk Matějka.