Study Chemistry Vocabulary Flash Cards

 
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Chemistry Vocabulary

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one of the two or more equally valid electron dot structures of a molecule or polyatomic ion
resonance structure
one of two or more different molecular forms of an element in the same physical state
allotrope
a subatomic particle with no charge and a mass of 1 amu
neutron
a place where no particles of matter exist
vacuum
a chemical formula that shows the arrangement of atoms in a molecule or a polyatomic ion; each dash between a pair of atoms indicates a pair of shared electrons
structural formula
that portion of chemistry dealing with numerial relationships in chemical reactions
stoichiometry
the smallest unit into which a substance can be broken down without a change in composition
representative particle
a covalent bond between atoms in which the electrons are shared unequally
polar covalent bond (polar bond)
a covalent bond in which the bonding electrons are most likely to be found in sausage-shaped regions above and below the bond axis of the bonded atoms
pi bond
an element in an "A" group in the periodic table; the s and p sublevels in the highest occupied energy level are partially filled
representative element
the study of the composition of matter and the changes that matter undergoes
chemistry
the zero point on the Kelvin temperature scale, equivalent to -273.15 degrees Celsius
absolute zero
a substance present at the start of a reaction
reactant
a force that measures the pull of gravity on a given mass
weight
a measure of the space occupied by a sample of matter
volume
the distance between adjacent crests of a wave
wavelength
valence-shell electron-pair repulsion theory; because electron pairs repel, molecules adjust their shapes so that valence electron pairs are as far apart as possible
VSEPR theory
a measure of the force exerted by a gas above a liquid in a sealed container; a dynamic equilibrium exists between the vapor and the liquid
vapor pressure
the conversion of a liquid to a gas or a vapor
vaporization
describes the gaseous state of a substance that is generally a liquid or solid at room temperature
vapor
the two weakest intermolecular attractions-dispersion interactions and dipole forces
van der Waals forces
an electron in the highest occupied energy level of an atom
valence electron
a pair of valence electrons that is not shared between atoms
unshared pair
the smallest group of particles within a crystal that retains the geometric shape of the crystal
unit cell
the point on a phase diagram that represents the only set of conditions at which all three phases exist in equilibrium with one another
triple point
a covalent bond in which three pairs of electrons are shared by two atoms
triple covalent bond
one of the Group B elements in which the highest occupied s sublevel and a nearby d sublevel generally contain electrons
transition metal
a well-tested explanation for a broad set of observations
theory
the amount of product that could form during a reaction calculated from a balanced chemical equation; it represents the maximum amount of product that could be formed from a given amount of reactant
theoretical yield
a bond angle of 109.5 degrees that results when a central atom forms four bonds directed toward the center of a regular tetrahedron
tetrahedral angle
a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles in matter
temperature
the means by which a society provides its members with those things needed and desired
technology
matter that has a uniform and definite composition; also called a pure substance
substance
the process in which a solid changes to a gas or vapor without passing through the liquid state
sublimation
the conditions under which the volume of gas is usually measured
standard temperature and pressure (STP)
a unit of pressure; it is the pressure required to support 760 mm of mercury in a mercury barometer
standard atmosphere (atm)
wavelengths of visible light that are separated when a beam of light passes through a prism; range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
spectrum
an ion that is not directly involved in a chemical reaction; an ion that does not change oxidation number or composition during a reaction
spectator ion
a homogeneous mixture
solution
a form of matter that has a definite shape and volume
solid
a chemical equation that does not indicate the relative amounts of reactants and products
skeleton equation
a chemical change in which one element replaces a second element in a compound; also called a displacement reaction
single-replacement reaction
a bond formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons
single covalent bond
all the digits that can be known precisely in a measurement, plus a last estimated digit
significant figures
a bond formed when two atomic orbitals combine to form a molecular orbital that is symmetrical around the axis connecting the two atomic nuclei
sigma bond
an expression of numbers in the form of m x ^n
scientific notation
a logical, systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem
scientific method
a concise statement that summarizes the results of many observations and experiments
scientific law
the variable that is observed during an experiment; also called a dependent variable
responding variable
the modern description, primarily mathematical, of the behavior of electrons in atoms
quantum mechanical model
the amount of energy needed to move an electron from one energy level to another
quantum
the pursuit of chemical knowledge for its own sake
pure chemistry
a positively charge subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom
proton
a substance produced in a chemical reaction
product
describes the closeness, or reproducibility, of a set of measurements taken under the same conditions
precision
a solid that forms and settles out of liquid mixture
precipitate
a tightly bound group of atoms that behaves as a unit and has a positive or negative charge
polyatomic ion
a material found in air, water, or soil that is harmful to humans and other organisms
pollutant
a molecule in which one side of the molecule is slightly negative and the opposite side is slightly positive
polar molecule
a quality or condition of a substance that can be observed or measure without changing the substance
physical property
the area of chemistry that deals with the mechanism, the rate, and the energy transfer that occurs when matter undergoes a change
physical chemistry
a change during which some properties of a material change, but the composition of the mater does not change
physical change
a quantum of light; a discrete bundle of electromagnetic energy that interacts with matter similarly to particles
photon
a graph showing the conditions at which a substance exists as a solid, liquid, or vapor
phase diagram
any part of a sample with uniform composition and properties
phase
an arrangement of elements in which the elements are separated into groups based of a set of repeating properties
periodic table
when the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, there is a periodic repetition of their physical and chemical properties
periodic law
a horizontal row of elements in the periodic table
period
the ratio of the actual yield to the theoretical yield for a chemical reaction expressed as a percentage
percent yield
the percent that a measure value differs from the accepted value
percent error
the percent by mass of each element in a compound
percent composition
an atomic orbital may describe at most two electrons, each with opposite spin direction
Pauli exclusion principle
the SI unit of pressure
pascal (Pa)
the contribution each gas in a mixture of gases makes to the total pressure
partial pressure
the study of compounds containing carbon
organic chemistry
atoms react by gaining or losing electrons so as to acquire the stable electron structure of a noble gas
octet rule
information obtained through the senses
observation
the tiny, dense central portion of an atom, composed of protons and neutrons
nucleus
the boiling point of liquid at a pressure of 101.3 kPa or 1 atm
normal boiling point
a covalent bond in which the electrons are shared equally by the two atoms
nonpolar covalent bond
an element that tends to be a poor conductor of heat and electric current
nonmetal
an element in Group 8A of the periodic table; the s and p sublevels of the highest occupied energy level are filled
noble gas
a solid in which all of the atoms are covalently bonded to each other
network solid
an equation for a reaction in solution showing only those particles that are directly involved in the chemical change
net ionic equation
a single atom with a positive or negative charge resulting from the loss or gain of one or more valence electrons
monatomic ion
a conversion factor derived from the coefficients, of a balanced chemical equation interpreted in terms of moles
mole ratio
a neutral group of atoms joined together by covalent bonds
molecule
an orbital that applies to the entire molecule
molecular orbit
a chemical formula of a molecular compound that shows the kinds and numbers of atoms present in a molecule of a compound
molecular formula
a compound that is composed of molecules
molecular compound
the amount of a substance that contains 6.02 * 10^23 representative particles of the substance
mole (mol)
the volume occupied by 1 mole of a gas at STP
molar volume
a term used to refer to the mass of a mole of any substance
molar mass
a physical blend of two or more substances that are not chemically combined
mixture
describes the world of objects that can be seen only under magnification
microscopic
the base unit of length in SI
meter (m)
one of a class of elements that are good conductors of heat and electric current
metal
an element that tends to have properties that are similar to those of metals and nonmetals
metalloid
the force of attraction that holds metal together; it consists of the attraction of free-floating valence electrons for positively charged metal ions
metallic bond
the temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid
melting point (mp)
a quantitative description that includes both a number and a unit
measurement
anything that has mass and occupies space
matter
the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
mass number
a measure of the amount of matter that an object contains
mass
the variable that is changed during an experiment; also called the independent variable
manipulated variable
describes the world of objects that are large enough to see with the unaided eye
macroscopic
the volume of a cube measure 10 cm on each edge
liter (L)
a form of matter that flows, has a fixed volume, and an indefinite shape
liquid
any reactant that is used up first in a chemical reaction
limiting reagent
whenever two elements form more than one compound, the different masses of one element that combine with the same mass of the other element are in the ratio of small whole numbers
law of multiple proportions
in samples of any chemical compound, the masses of the elements are always in the same proportion
law of definite proportions
in any physical change or chemical reaction, mass is neither created nor destroyed
law of conservation of mass
a theory explaining the states of matter, based on the concept that all matter consists of tiny particles that are in constant motion
kinetic theory
the energy an object has because of its motion
kinetic energy
the mass of 1 L of water at four degrees Celsius
kilogram (kg)
the temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is 273 and the boiling point is 373
Kelvin scale
the Si unit of energy
joule (J)
atoms of the same element that have the same atomic number but different atomic masses due to a different number of neutrons
isotopes
the energy required to remove and electron from an atom in its gaseous state
ionization energy
a compound composed of positive and negative ions
ionic compound
a compound composed of positive and negative ions
ionic compound
the electrostatic attraction that binds oppositely charged ions together
ionic bonds
an atom or group of atoms that has a positive or negative charge
ion
the revised version of the metric system
International System of Units (SI)
a property that depends on the type of matter in a sample
intensive property
the study of substances that, in general, do not contain carbon
inorganic carbon
an element in the lanthanide or actinide series; the highest occupied s sublevel and nearby f sublevel of its atoms generally contain electrons
inner transition metal
the relationship PV = nRT
ideal gas law
the constant in the ideal gas law with the symbol R and the value 8.31 (l kPa)/(K mol)
ideal gas constant
a proposed explanation for an observation
hypothesis
attractive forces in which a hydrogen covalently bonded to a very electronegative atom is also weakly bonded to an unshared electron pair of another electronegative atom
hydrogen bonds
the mixing of several atomic orbitals to form the same total number of equivalent hybrid orbitals
hybridization
electrons occupy orbitals of the same energy in a way that makes the number or electrons with the same spin direction as large as possible
Hund's rule
a mixture that is uniform in composition
homogeneous mixture
a mixture that is not uniform in composition
heterogeneous mixture
the unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second
hertz (Hz)
it is impossible to know exactly both the velocity and the position of a particle at the same time
Heisenberg uncertainty principle
a nonmetal in Group 7A of the periodic table
halogens
a negative ion formed when a halogen atom gains an electron
halide ion
the lowest possible energy of an atom described by quantum mechanics
ground state
a vertical column of elements in the periodic table
group
the rate of effusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass
Grahams law of effusion
a metric mass unit equal to the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at four degrees Celsius
gram (g)
transparent fusion product of inorganic materials that have cooled to a rigid state without crystallizing
glass
the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to the Kelvin temperature if the volume is constant
Gay-Lussac's law
results from the force exerted by a gas per unit surface area of an object; due to collisions of gas particles with the object
gas pressure
a form of matter that takes the shape and volume of its container
gas
the number of wave cycles that pass a given point per unit of time
frequency
the lowest whole-number ratio of ions in an ionic compound
formula unit
a process that separates a solid from the liquid in a heterogeneous mixture
filtration
a property that depends on the amount of matter in a sample
extensive property
a quantitative value measured during an experiment
experimental value
a repeatable procedure that is used to test a hypothesis
experiment
a reagent present in a quantity that is more than sufficient to react with a limiting reagent; any reactant that remains after the limiting reagent is used up in a chemical reaction
excess reagent
vaporization that occurs at the surface of a liquid that is not boiling
evaporation
the difference between the accepted value and the experimental value
error
the specific energies an electron in an atom or other system can have
energy level
the capacity for doing work or producing heat
energy
a formula with the lowest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound
empirical formula
the simplest form of matter that has a unique set of properties and cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means
element
the arrangement of electrons of an atom in its ground state into various orbitals around the nuclei of atoms
electron configuration
the ability of an atom to attract electrons when the atom is in a compound
electronegativity
a notation that depicts valence electrons as dots around the atomic symbol of the element
electron dot structure
a negatively charged subatomic particle
electron
energy waves that travel in a vacuum at a speed of 2.988 x 10^8 m/s; includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light, ultraviolet waves, X-rays, and gamma rays
electromagnetic radiation
the process that occurs when a gas escapes through a tiny hole in its container
effusion
a chemical change that involves an exchange of positive ions between to compounds
double-replacement reaction
a bond in which two atoms share two pairs of electrons
double covalent bond
a process used to separate dissolved solids from a liquid, which is boiled to produce a vapor that is then condensed into a liquid
distillation
attractions between molecules caused by the electron motion of one molecule affecting the electron motion on the other through electrical forces; these are the weakest interactions between molecules
dispersion forces
intermolecular forces resulting from attraction of oppositely charged regions of polar molecules
dipole interactions
a molecule that has two poles, or regions, with opposite charges
dipole
a technique of problem-solving that uses the units that are part of a measurement to help solve the problem
dimensional analysis
the tendency of molecules to move toward areas of lower concentration until the concentration is uniform throughout
diffusion
a molecule consisting of two atoms
diatomic molecule
the ratio of the mass of an object to its volume
density
a chemical change in which a single compound is broken down into two or more simpler products
decomposition reaction
at constant volume and temperature, the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the component gases
Dalton's law of partial pressures
the first theory to relate chemical changes to events at the atomic level
Dalton's atomic theory
a solid in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in an orderly, repeating, three-dimensional pattern called a crystal lattice
crystal
a bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms
covalent bond
the number of ions of opposite charge that surround each ion in a crystal
coordination number
a covalent bond in which one atom contributes both bonding electrons
coordinate covalent bond
a ratio of equivalent measurements used to convert a quantity from one unit to another
conversion factor
a measure of how much the volume of matter decreases under pressure
compressibility
a substance that contains two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed proportion
compound
an equation that shows dissolved ionic compounds as dissociated free ions
complete ionic equation
a chemical change in which an element or a compound reacts with oxygen, often producing energy in the form of heat and light
combustion reaction
the law that describes the relationship among the pressure, temperature, and volume of an enclosed gas
combined gas law
a chemical change in which two or more substances react to form a single new substance; also called a synthesis reaction
combination reaction
a small whole number that appears in front of a formula in a balanced chemical equation
coefficient
a one- or two-letter representation of an element
chemical symbol
a change in which one or more reactants change into one or more products
chemical reaction
the ability of a substance to undergo a specific chemical change
chemical property
an expression that indicates the number and type of atoms present in the smallest representative unit of a substance
chemical formula
an expression representing a chemical reaction
chemical equation
a change that produces matter with a different composition than the original matter
chemical change
the volume of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to it Kelvin temperature if the pressure is kept constant
Charles' law
the temperature scale on which the freezing point of water is 0 and the boiling point of water is 100
Celsius scale
any atom or group of atoms with a positive charge
cation
a substance that increases the rate of reaction by lowering the activation-energy barrier
catalyst
a stream of electrons produced at the negative electrode (cathode) of a tube containing a gas at low pressure
cathode ray
the quantity of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure water 1 degree Celsius
calorie (cal)
for a given mass of gas at constant temperature, the volume of the gas varies inversely with pressure
Boyle's law
a molecular orbital that can be occupied by two electrons of a covalent bond
bonding orbital
the energy required to break the bond between two covalently bonded atoms; this value is usually expressed in kJ per mole of substance
bond dissociation energy
the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid is just equal to the external pressure on the liquid
boiling point (bp)
the field that applies science to the production of biological products or processes
biotechnology
the area of chemistry that focuses on processes that take place in organisms
biochemistry
a compound composed of two elements
binary compound
a compound that produces hydroxide ions in solution
base
an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure
barometer
a chemical equation in which mass is conserved; each side of the equation has the same number of atoms of each element
balanced equation
the number of representative particles contained in one mole of a substance; equal to 6.02 x 10^23
Avogadro's number
equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain equal numbers of particles
Avogadro's hypothesis
the rule that electrons occupy the orbitals of lowest energy first
aufbau principle
one-half the distance between the nuclei of two atoms of the same element when the atoms are joined
atomic radius
a mathematical expression describing the probability of finding an electron at various locations; usually represented by the region of space around the nucleus where there is a high probability of finding an electron
atomic orbital
the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an element
atomic number
a unit of mass equal to one-twelfth the mass of a carbon- atom
atomic mass unit (amu)
the weighted average of the masses of the isotopes of an element
atomic mass
the pattern formed when light passes through a prism or diffraction grating to separate it into the different frequencies of light it contains
atomic emission spectrum
the smallest particle of an element that retains its identity in a chemical reaction
atom
the pressure exerted by atoms and molecules in the atmosphere surrounding Earth, resulting from collisions of these particles with objects
atmospheric pressure
research that is directed toward a practical goal or application
applied chemistry
any atom of group of atoms with a negative charge
anion
the area of chemistry that focuses on the composition of matter
analytical chemistry
the height of a wave's crest
amplitude
describes a solid that lacks an ordered internal structure; denotes a random arrangement of atoms
amorphous solid
a mixture composed of two or more elements; at least one of which is a metal
alloy
any metal in Group 2A of the periodic table
alkaline earth metals
any metal in Group 1A of the periodic table
alkali metals
the amount of product that forms when a reaction is carried out in the laboratory
actual yield
a list of elements in order of decreasing activity
activity series
a compound that produces hydrogen ions in solution
acid
the closeness of a measurement to the true value of what is being measured
accuracy
a quantity used by general agreement of the scientific community
accepted value
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