## Composition of Substances

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Last Update: 12/13/02
Copyright© 1996-2002. All rights reserved. See Terms of Usage.

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#$TangibleStuffCompositionType tangible stuff types

> A collection of collections and a specialization of #$ExistingStuffType. Instances are subcollections of #$PartiallyTangible whose membership is based only on the physical and/or chemical composition of their instances. #$TangibleStuffCompositionType does not have as instances collections whose instances are determined _solely_ by the physical state they are in -- for that, see #$TangibleStuffStateType. For example, the collection #$Water is an instance of #$TangibleStuffCompositionType, as instances of #$Water are all pieces of substance with the chemical composition H20. On the other hand , the collection of all pieces of ice (i.e. (#$SolidFn #$Water) is not a #$TangibleStuffCompositionType, because membership in that collection depends on the substance's composition _and_ on its physical state. Further instances of #$TangibleStuffCompositionType are #$Nylon, #$GasolineFuel, #$FattyTissue, #$TalcumPowder, #$Nitrogen, and #$Glass. An important specialization of this collection is #$ChemicalCompoundType.
> guid: bd58864a-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$SecondOrderCollection #$AtemporalNecessarilyEssentialCollectionType
> direct specialization of: #$ExistingStuffType
> direct generalization of: #$ElementStuffType #$PureSubstanceType #$ChemicalSubstanceType

#$PhysicalCompositionPredicate composition predicate

> A collection of predicates that are used to relate a partially tangible thing to its partially tangible parts or components, where those parts or components might or might not be spatially continuous or discrete. Each instance of #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate has an arity of 2, and both argument places are constrained (see #$argIsa) to instances of #$PartiallyTangible, or some subcollection thereof. Each instance of #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate is a specialization of the predicate #$physicalDecompositions (q.v.); consequently, for each instance PRED of #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate, either (#$genlPreds PRED #$physicalDecompositions) or (#$genlInverse PRED #$physicalDecompositions) holds.
> guid: bd58f321-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PredicateCategory
> direct specialization of: #$CotemporalPredicate #$PartPredicate
> direct generalization of: #$PhysicalPartPredicate

### Mixtures Solutions Suspensions

#$Mixture mixtures **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> A specialization of #$PartiallyTangible. Each instance of #$Mixture is a homogeneous partially tangible thing composed of two or more different constituents (see the predicate #$constituents) which have been mixed. The inputs to this mixing do not form chemical bonds among themselves, and at a later time the mixture may be separated back out into these inputs. Specializations of #$Mixture include #$Blood, #$Mud, #$Air, and #$CarbonatedBeverage. Note that each instance of #$Mixture has a composition but not a structure; thus, the following are _not_ instances of #$Mixture, since all have some structure: a wet sponge, a person, or a portion of plywood.
> guid: bd58e89f-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$ExistingStuffType
> direct specialization of: #$PartiallyTangible
> direct generalization of: #$Drink #$Solution #$Air #$Suspension #$Fruit #$MetalAlloy #$Cloth

#$Solution solutions

> An instance of #$ExistingStuffType, and a specialization of #$Mixture. Each instance of #$Solution is a mixture of two or more chemically distinct substances. Instances of #$Solution are homogeneous, meaning that the composition at any one point in a given instance is the same as that at any other point. In contrast, instances of #$Suspension are mixtures in which small discontinuous particles are surrounded by a continuous fluid. The #$solvent of every #$Solution has the #$stateOfMatter #$Liquid-StateOfMatter. Thus #$Solutions also normally exhibit the properties of a liquid, since #$solvents are #$mainConstituents. Examples of #$Solutions include a sample of seawater, a cup of coffee, a tincture of iodine, some vanilla extract.
> guid: bd59059c-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$ExistingStuffType
> direct specialization of: #$Mixture
> direct generalization of: #$Water-Saline

#$Suspension suspensions **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> A collection of tangible stuffs; a subcollection of #$Mixture. Each instance of #$Suspension is a mixture which has exactly one #$suspendingFluid and at least one kind of #$suspendedPart. Each of the #$suspendedParts is an instance of #$Particle, and there are a mob of them. Some suspensions are fairly stable (e.g., mayonnaise), while others tend to separate quickly (e.g., sugar stirred into cold lemonade). Other examples of #$Suspension include a #$CloudInSky, a spray of aerosol deodorant.
> guid: bd58bfca-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$ExistingStuffType
> direct specialization of: #$Mixture

#$suspendingFluid suspending fluid **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> The predicate #$suspendingFluid indicates the particular fluid in which particles are suspended in a particular instance of #$Suspension. Thus, (#$suspendingFluid SUS FLU) means that FLU is among the #$constituents of the #$Suspension SUS, FLU is a fluid (i.e., liquid OR gas), and FLU is the fluid constituent which suspends the particles in SUS. For example, in an instance of #$CloudlikeObject, the #$suspendingFluid is the portion of #$Air that is surrounding and supporting the droplets of water vapour in the cloud. In muddy water, the #$suspendingFluid is that instance of #$Water which is supporting the particles of soil.
> guid: c0fb97e0-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate #$StrictlyFunctionalPredicate #$AntiTransitiveBinaryPredicate #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate #$CotemporalObjectsSlot
> direct specialization of: #$mainConstituent

#$suspendedPart suspended particle **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> The predicate #$suspendedPart indicates an instance of #$Particle which is suspended in a particular instance of #$Suspension. Thus, (#$suspendedPart SUS PART) means that PART is a #$Particle suspended in the #$suspendingFluid of the #$Suspension SUS. Examples: in an instance of #$CloudOfH2O, the (typical) #$suspendedPart is a #$Particle of water; in muddy water, the (typical) #$suspendedPart is a #$Particle of soil.
> guid: c0fb9a9b-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate #$AntiSymmetricBinaryPredicate #$CotemporalObjectsSlot
> direct specialization of: #$constituents

#$solvent solvent (composition predicate) (part predicate) (cotemporal predicate) **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> The predicate #$solvent indicates a particular liquid in a #$Solution in which the #$solute is dissolved.
> guid: bd58d342-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate #$StrictlyFunctionalPredicate #$AntiSymmetricBinaryPredicate #$CotemporalObjectsSlot
> direct specialization of: #$mainConstituent

#$solute solute **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> The predicate #$solute indicates a particular instance of #$PartiallyTangible in a #$Solution which is dissolved in the #$solvent of that #$Solution.
> guid: bd58d37f-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate #$CotemporalObjectsSlot #$AntiTransitiveBinaryPredicate

### Specifying Composition

#$NoteAboutIsaVsMainConstituentVsConstituents note about isa vs main constituent vs constituents **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> When to use #$isa, #$mainConstituent, or #$constituents. We develop the following example as a basis for explaining the differences. Consider X, where (#$isa X #$Water). If we add some other substance(s) to X, to the point where the mixture acquires some salient characteristic(s) different from #$Water while retaining all the main properties, then we should assert (#$mainConstituent X W), where W is the original water -- i.e., (#$isa W #$Water) -- and X is the whole new mixture of W with some other stuff(s). Suppose we add enough enough other stuff that the physical properties of the mixture become significantly different from those of water; then we should assert only (#$constituents X W). #$isa - Use #$isa if X would commonly be referred to as `water', including cases in which a small number of minor characteristics are different due to some admixture. Examples (arguably, 3 and 4 are borderline cases): 1. An instance of (#$PureFn #$Water) #$isa #$Water. 2. An instance of #$Water-Ingestible #$isa #$Water (but may have trace constituents). 3. An instance of #$PoolWater #$isa #$Water (but has some #$Chlorine as a salient #$constituents). 4. An instance of #$SeaWater #$isa #$Water (but has some #$Salt-NaCl as a salient #$constituents). #$mainConstituent - Use #$mainConstituent when X contains other substances besides water, would NOT commonly referred to as `water', and yet has MOST of the material properties of water. As a rule, most of the properties of the #$mainConstituent transfer to the substance it's a part of. Often such substances have at least one important and/or perceptible characteristic (due to admixture) that is quite different from the properties of water. Examples: 1. An instance of #$Lemonade is NOT called `water' but has water as a #$mainConstituent. It tastes quite different from water. It has nutritional (caloric) value. It is a human-made beverage. 2. An instance of #$Coffee-Beverage is NOT called `water' but has water as a #$mainConstituent. It tastes quite different from water. It contains caffeine. Also, a specific inference about coffee's (lack of) transparency should override the transparency which would otherwise be inferred from the material properties of its #$mainConstituent. 3. Aqueous hydrochloric acid has many of the properties of its main constituent, water -- for example, transparency, viscosity, density, freezing point, etc. But it also has the very important difference that it is highly acidic, caustic, etc. -- and attributing to it water's potability would be disastrous. #$constituents - Use #$constituents when X is NOT commonly referred to as `water' and has FEW properties of water, even though X contains water. Examples: 1. An instance of (#$SolidFn #$Gelatin) is NOT called `water', and though it has water among its #$constituents, gelatin has very few of the properties of water. 2. An instance of #$Concrete is NOT called `water'; though it has water among its #$constituents, it has none of the salient characteristics of water. 3. An instance of #$Mud is NOT called `water' and has few characteristics of water, though water is among its #$constituents. Its #$mainConstituent is some portion of #$Soil-Generic.
> guid: c0fb9e28-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$SharedNote #$Individual

#$constituents constituent **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> The predicate #$constituents is used to indicate a particular #$PartiallyTangible which makes up another (possibly non-distinct) #$PartiallyTangible thing. (#$constituents WHL PART) means that the individual object WHL is partially constituted by PART, and PART is more or less uniformly distributed in WHL. For example, the two teaspoons of chocolate syrup that I put in my milk become #$constituents of my glass of chocolate milk. Note that #$constituents does not entail any special kind of association or bond among the constituents of a thing; they might be simply mixed, they might be chemically bonded, and they might be part of some complex structure.
> guid: bd58d277-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate #$AntiSymmetricBinaryPredicate #$ReflexiveBinaryPredicate #$TransitiveBinaryPredicate #$CotemporalObjectsSlot
> direct specialization of: #$physicalDecompositions

#$mainConstituent main constituent **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> A predicate that relates objects to further objects which are their main constituents. (#$mainConstituent WHOLE PART) means that WHOLE is partially constituted by PART (so that (#$constituents WHOLE PART) holds), and (as a default) the physical properties of WHOLE are those of PART. For example, for a particular instance of #$Lemonade, there is an instance of #$Water which is the #$mainConstituent, and most of the physical properties of that instance of #$Lemonade derive from that instance of #$Water. On the other hand, a person is _not_ considered to have some portion of #$Water as #$mainConstituent, even though much of a person's mass is #$Water, since the physical properties of a person are not the same as those of water.
> guid: bd58d301-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$PhysicalCompositionPredicate #$StrictlyFunctionalSlot #$AntiSymmetricBinaryPredicate #$CotemporalObjectsSlot
> direct specialization of: #$constituents

#$ingredients ingredient (transitive binary predicate) (asymmetric binary predicate) (antisymmetric binary predicate) **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> The predicate #$ingredients is used to indicate a particular input used to make a particular artifact. (#$ingredients ART INGR) means that the #$PartiallyTangible thing INGR was one of the #$inputs to the creation of the #$Artifact ART, and INGR (or matter derived from it) is one of ART's #$physicalParts. This is a general predicate that usually can be stated in a more specific manner. For example: #$ingredients-Separable applies only to those inputs which retain their identity in the creation process and which are incorporated into the resulting #$Artifact; #$ingredients-Constituent applies to ingredients that permiate the resulting #$Artifact; and #$ingredients-Destroyed refer to ingredients that have been transformed in the creation process.
> guid: bd58cea4-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate #$TransitiveBinaryPredicate
> direct specialization of: #$startsAfterStartingOf

### Purity

#$PureFn pure fn **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> An instance of #$CollectionDenotingFunction. (#$PureFn X) denotes the subcollection of the #$ChemicalSubstanceType X whose instances are chemically pure. Note that #$PureFn can be applied only to instances of #$ChemicalSubstanceType (such as #$Fructose or #$Water), but not to mixtures (such as #$Air). See also #$PureSubstance.
> guid: c0fbb1ad-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$UnaryIntersectionFunction #$Individual

#$PureSubstance pure substances **COMMENT NOT REVIEWED** **GAFs NOT REVIEWED**

> A collection of tangible stuffs. Each instance of #$PureSubstance is a chemically pure portion of stuff belonging to some particular #$ChemicalSubstanceType (e.g. #$Water or #$Cellulose). `Chemically pure' applies to a piece of stuff which has no sub-portions that fail to conform to the chemical composition of its (single) #$ChemicalSubstanceType. In typical contexts, most common portions of a #$ChemicalSubstanceType will not be instances of #$PureSubstance . For example, a piece of pencil lead, though mostly carbon, will not be an instance since it is not pure carbon and any portion of ordinary tap water will contain too many impurities. Many sub-portions of either a piece of pencil lead or portion of tap water will fail to conform to the chemical composition of either carbon or water. Some instances of #$ChemicalSubstanceType are subcollections of #$PureSubstance in most contexts but not in all. In typical domestic contexts, for example, a piece of ordinary distilled water would be an instance of #$PureSubstance . However, in a clean room or microchip manufacturing context, ordinary distilled water would probably be considerd impure (see #$ImpureCompound). In general, to refer to a pure instance of a substance one can use the function #$PureFn, e.g. (#$PureFn #$Carbon). Note that #$PureFn has #$PureSubstance as a #$resultGenl . Since this kind of purity is relative to specified chemical composition only, #$PureSubstance (and #$PureFn) does not pertain to mixtures in Cyc (such as #$Air). Cf. #$Mixture, #$ChemicalSubstanceType. See also #$PureSubstanceType and #$ImpureCompound.
> guid: c0fbb161-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$TangibleStuffCompositionType
> direct specialization of: #$InanimateThing

#$PureSubstanceType types of pure substance

> An instance of #$SecondOrderCollection. Each instance of #$PureSubstanceType is both a specialization of #$PureSubstance (q.v.) and a specialization of some instance of #$ChemicalSubstanceType (q.v.). Each instance of #$PureSubstanceType is characterized by the properties of the instance of #$ChemicalSubstanceType of which it is a specialization, and by the fact that each of its instances is chemically pure.
> guid: c0fbb120-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
> direct instance of: #$SecondOrderCollection
> direct specialization of: #$TangibleStuffCompositionType

Cyc has a representation scheme for one sense of `purity', which is chemical purity. See #$PureCompound, #$PureFn, and #$PureCompoundType.

Copyright© 1996-2002. All rights reserved. See Terms of Usage.