Borax Vs Boron: When To Use Each One? What To Consider

Borax and boron are technical terms used in Chemistry. If you are unfamiliar with their meanings, you may assume they mean the same thing. We will break down the two words in this borax vs boron post, so you never confuse or misuse them again.

Borax is boric acid’s sodium salt, and it’s either anhydrous or with five or ten water crystallization molecules. It is a white mineral compound in alkaline salt deposits. In contrast, boron is a nonmetallic element occurring in borax, usually reduced to a free state when obtained in various forms.

While the names borax and boron sound alike, they are different words. But the truth is that they have related meanings. Read on to learn how these words are related and other interesting facts about them, especially their meanings and usage in Chemistry contexts.

Definitions Of Borax And Boron

Words like borax and boron are challenging to understand because you will not hear them in regular conversations. Furthermore, they are technical terms with rather complex definitions and formulas. Therefore, very few people know their meanings. Before getting into their correlations and correct uses, let us begin by defining these words:

Definition Of Borax

Borax is a gray crystal-like compound with a somewhat alkaline sense of taste often applied as a flux during porcelain production, enamel production, and metal soldering. It is also a raw material for soap production. An example sentence is, “Borax is one of the key raw materials for making our enamel products.”

The technical definition of borax in chemistry is “a sodium salt of boric acid with the chemical symbol Na2B4O7. It can be anhydrous or have five or ten water crystallization molecules. A sentence example: “Another name for borax in chemistry is sodium tetraborate.”

Another source defines borax as “an inorganic compound or a boric acid salt existing as a white solid with soft and colorless crystals. Borax crystals are water soluble, and the inorganic compound occurs in a decahydrate form.” For example, “Borax is a collection of anhydrous or hydrous organic compounds.”

Borax is also an ore of boron made up of hydrated sodium borate, often used as a cleansing agent. For example, “Borax is a boron compound or a salt of boric acid.”

As an adjective, borax means “cheap or tawdry, concerning furniture or other industrial design works.” For example, “The borax furniture will not enter my house again.”

Another meaning of borax is “good-natured teasing, ridicule, or banter.” In a sentence, “The members of the other party want to poke some borax at their opposition for having a different opinion.”

Definitions Of Boron

Boron is a nonmetallic element abundantly present in borax. For example, “Boron occurs in several different forms.”

Another meaning is a chemical element whose chemical symbol is B, and its atomic number is 5. This chemical element is not abundant in the earth’s crust and is also a solar system trace element. An example sentence is, “We are yet to get Boron for our project.”

Note that boron is a metalloid that does not occur naturally and exists as a solid at standard pressure and temperature, with molecular networks similar to carbon. We can say that “Boron has similarities with other chemical elements like carbon and silicon.”

How To Properly Use Borax And Boron In A Sentence

Words like boron and borax are not easy to use in sentences because their definitions are complex. Therefore, their definitions limit their application contexts. However, the beauty of the English language is that one word can have several meanings.

For instance, while borax is a term used in chemistry, it also has some figurative and general meanings that apply in everyday settings. So, the key to mastering a word is learning all its definitions and application contexts. Here are some things you should never forget when using the words boron and borax:

How To Use The Word Borax

You can use this word in a sentence as a noun to refer to:

• A boric acid sodium salt occurs as a white or gray crystalline salt with an alkaline taste. For example, “The lab technician instructed the students to dissolve two spoons of borax in a pint of warm water for the experiment.”
• A good-natured banter, teasing, or ridicule. For example, “The students could not take a bit of borax from their rivals at the state championship game.”

You can also apply the term as an adjective when talking about something cheap or tawdry, especially industrial design work or furniture. Note that an adjective is a noun modifier. Therefore, your sentence should have a noun when using the word “borax” as an adjective. For example, “The furniture is too borax for my liking.”

How To Use The Word Boron

While various sources use different words and terminologies to define this word, the definition is standard. So, this word does not have multiple definitions, making its application quite straightforward.

Use it as a noun when referring to a metalloid or chemical element with an atomic number of 5 and the chemical symbol B; It occurs abundantly in borax. An example sentence is, “Boron is an element found in borax.”

Borax Vs Boron: Prioritize The Following When Using These Words

When using these words in sentences, you must first prioritize their spelling. Any spelling mistakes when writing either word will alter its meaning and the overall meaning of your sentence. Therefore, while learning their definitions, it would also help to take time to master their spelling. The key to mastering spellings is writing them down severally. Doing so triggers muscle memory which enables you to recall the syllables.

Something else you should prioritize when using these words is their pronunciation. Proper pronunciation is vital in verbal communication. It helps listeners understand the message you intend to convey. So, the correct pronunciations for borax and boron are “/bawr-aks/” and “/bawr-on/,” respectively.

List Of Examples Of Borax And Boron Use In Sentences

Now that you know all the definitions of boron and borax, their differences, and tips for using them in sentences, you should be good at using these words. However, some examples of sentences featuring these words would not hurt your learning. So, let us look at some example sentences below:

Example sentences of borax

1. Borax occurs in deposits that form due to repeated evaporation.
2. The repeated evaporation of seasonal lakes causes the formation of borax.
3. Scientists can refine borax using recrystallization techniques.
4. Borax is an essential compound for making cleaning agents and buffers.
5. Borax is one of the vital raw materials for manufacturing soap and enamel.

Example sentences of boron

1. Boron is an essential element for maintaining calcium in bones.
2. The doctor recommended boron to help my brother’s muscle growth during resistance training.
3. The researchers discovered that boron helps the body use and metabolize estrogen.
4. Do you know that boron is a metalloid because it does not occur naturally on the earth’s crust?
5. The fact that boron has an atomic number of five means it has five protons.

Conclusion

According to their definitions, the difference between borax and boron is that boron is a chemical element while borax is a chemical compound. Both occur naturally. However, borax is more abundant, while boron is a trace element. Also, they have different atomic numbers, molar masses, and melting and boiling points.

More so, borax is a noun and an adjective with multiple definitions outside chemistry. On the other hand, boron exists exclusively in chemistry contexts. So, once you understand their differences as chemical compounds and elements, that is enough to help you use the words in sentences.