Homologous

Description

A homologous series of chemical compounds starts with the same general formula then each successive member has an additional methylene (CH2) group. An example of a homologous series is: methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, etc.

Authority

• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988

• Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998