Fluorocarbons

/ˌflʊərəʊˈkɑːrbənz/ noun

Definition

The plural form of fluorocarbon; multiple chemical compounds containing carbon and fluorine atoms.

Etymology

Plural of fluorocarbon, formed by adding -s. The plural emerged alongside the singular in mid-20th century chemistry discourse when multiple such compounds were being discovered.

Kelly Says

The discovery of fluorocarbons revolutionized refrigeration and food storage, but also became one of chemistry's cautionary tales when CFCs threatened Earth's protective ozone layer in the 1980s.

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