- a white transparent waxy crystalline solid with a strong penetrating pungent aromatic odor

-found in wood of the camphor laurel, Cinnamonum camphora, which is a large evergreen tree found in Asia (particularly in Borneo, hence its alternate name)

- can also be synthetically produced from oil of turpentine

- used for its scent, as an embalming fluid and for medicinal purposes

- has calming properties

- readily absorbed through the skin

- produces a feeling of cooling similar to that of menthol

- acts as slight local anesthetic

- poisonous when ingested and can cause seizures, mental confusion, irritability, and neuromuscular hyperactivity

Modern uses:

- a plasticizer for cellulose nitrate

- a moth repellent

- in embalming

-in fireworks

- a form of anti-itch gel currently on the market uses camphor as its active ingredient

-used in medicine (historically)

Formal Chemical Name

(IUPAC)
1,7,7-trimethyl-bicyclo(2,2,1)heptan-2-one

Search engines: http://www.3dchem.com/molecules.asp?ID=203#

The oxidation state is an indicator of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a chemical compound.

The formal oxidation state is the hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds to atoms of different elements were 100% ionic.

Oxidation states are typically represented by integers, which can be positive, negative, or zero. In some cases the average oxidation state of an element is a fraction, such as 8/3 for iron in magnetite (Fe₃O₄).

The highest oxidation state is +8 in the tetroxides of xenon, ruthenium and osmium, while the lowest is −4 for some elements in the carbon group.

The increase in oxidation state of an atom through a chemical reaction is known as an oxidation; a decrease in oxidation state is known as a reduction. Such reactions involve the formal transfer of electrons, a net gain in electrons being a reduction and a net loss of electrons being an oxidation. For pure elements, the oxidation state is zero.

Search engines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation_state