Cyanide

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cyanide

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical structure of cyano group?A carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom (C≡N)
2. What is the origin of term?From the Greek word 'kyanos,' meaning 'dark blue,' referencing early pigments
3. Why is cyanide so dangerous to living things?Cyanide is dangerous because it stops cells from using oxygen. It binds to a protein called cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria, which blocks the chain that makes energy for the body.
4. How do factories use cyanide to get gold and silver?In mining, cyanide solutions dissolve gold and silver from ore. The cyanide ion sticks to the metal, letting workers pull the precious metal out of the rock.

Functional group: A specific group of atoms within a molecule responsible for its characteristic chemical reactions.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond characterized by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.
Cytochrome c oxidase: A key enzyme in the mitochondrial electron transport chain essential for aerobic respiration.