The chemical compound formed by the union of two alcohol molecules, which lose a water molecule, is called ether.
The Greek word aithḗr came to Latin as aether , which in our language became ether . The term has various uses depending on the context.
In the field of chemistry , ether is called a compound that is formed by the bond of two alcohol molecules , which lose a molecule of water. Ethers do not react easily and are quite stable.
Ethers are generally used in the manufacture of glues , as solvents for organic substances, in the preparation of poisons or even as anti-inflammatories for external use.
Ethyl ether and petroleum ether
Ethyl ether , for example, is a colorless liquid, has a low boiling point, has a burning and acrid flavor, and ignites easily. It is used in the production of explosives and as a fat solvent, to name two of its uses.
Another name by which ethyl ether is known is diethyl ether . It has a density of 763 kilograms per cubic meter, which makes it a lighter substance than water, although its vapor exceeds air in density, reaching 2.56 kilograms per cubic meter. It is enough to touch ethyl ether with one hand to bring it to a boil, since it only needs to reach 34.5 °C; to solidify, on the other hand, it must drop to -116 °C.
In addition to fats, ethyl ether is very effective at dissolving phosphorus and sulfur, among other substances. Some studies indicate that the first to discover it was Raimundo Lulio , an alchemist who lived from the mid-13th century to the beginning of the 14th century in the City of Mallorca, although not enough evidence has been found to support this information.
Petroleum ether , on the other hand, is a mixture of different volatile compounds that are highly flammable. Also called benzine, this ether is usually generated in refineries as part of the petroleum distillate.
It is common that, in radio , the space that allows the propagation of waves is mentioned as ether.
The contributions of Valerius Cordus and Paracelsus
The first person to synthesize it, on the other hand, was Valerius Cordus , almost two centuries later, and he gave it the name "sweet oil of vitriol" because its discovery had taken place after distilling ethanol and oil of vitriol (the name it received at that time sulfuric acid, since it was generated using this material as a base). Cordus observed certain medicinal properties in ethyl ether that are still considered valid today.
Also at that time, Paracelsus (the name by which the Swiss physician and astrologer Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim was known) discovered that ethyl ether had some analgesic properties. It is worth mentioning that it was not until 1730 that the English chemist August Sigmund Frobenius baptized it "ether." Starting in 1842 and thanks to the work of the American surgeon Crawford Williamson Long , ethyl ether began to be used as a general anesthetic.
Ether, a supposedly invisible fluid
In ancient times, physics used the notion of ether to name a supposedly invisible fluid that, in theory, filled space and transmitted various forms of energy through vibrations. With the development of science, the existence of ether was ruled out.
Scientists Edward Morley and Albert Abraham Michelson performed experiments that were very important in stopping ether from being considered a substance of real existence. The theory of special relativity proposed by Albert Einstein also contributed in the same sense.
Poetic language, on the other hand, appeals to the term ether to name the immaterial thing that surrounds the planet Earth . In the field of radio, the space in which waves travel is usually called ether.
A school of communication
ETER , finally, is a communication school from Argentina .
This institution teaches careers and offers courses that allow training in speech, journalism, technical operation and other specialties.