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In chemistry, meta is a prefix, used for systematic names in IUPAC nomenclature. It has several meanings.

• In organic chemistry, meta indicates the positions of substituents in aromatic cyclic compounds. The substituents have the 1,3-positions, for example in resorcinol.
• Meta may also denote the dehydrated form of an acid, salt or organic derivative in a series. For example:
  • metabisulfite:

  2 bisulfite (HSO−3) → 1 metabisulfite (S₂O2−5) + H₂O

  • metaphosphoric acid:

  3 orthophosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) → 1 trimetaphosphoric acid (H₃P₃O₉) + 3 H₂O

  • Meta-antimonic acid, the dehydrated form of antimonic acid (H₃SbO₄), is HSbO₃.

See also

• Arene substitution patterns

References

1. "Definition of meta-". www.dictionary.com. 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
2. Kern, Sergius (1875-02-19). Crookes, William (ed.). "New Method of Quantitative Analysis of Ordinary Alloys". Chemical News and Journal of Industrial Science. XXXI (795). London: Chemical news office.: 76.

• Chemistry prefixes