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General Chemistry
Key Terms / Concepts (Work In Progress)
112
Chemistry
Undergraduate 1
01/25/2012

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Term
mass unit of measurement
Definition
g

Grams
Term
length unit of measurement
Definition
m

Meter
Term
volume unit of measurement
Definition
L

Liter
Term
time unit of measurement
Definition
s

Second
Term
temperature unit of measurement
Definition
°C

Celsius
Term
Chemical
Definition
A substance that has the same composition and properties wherever it is found.
Term
Chemistry
Definition
A science that studies the composition of substances and the way they interact with other substances.
Term
Experiment
Definition
A procedure that tests the validity of a hypothesis.
Term
Hypothesis
Definition
An unverified explanation of a natural phenomenon.
Term
Observation
Definition
Information determined by noting and recording a natural phenomenon.
Term
Scientific Method
Definition
The process of making observations, proposing a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and developing a theory that explains a natural event.
Term
Theory
Definition
An explanation of an observation that has been validated by experiments that support a hypothesis.
Term
Celsius (°C) temperature scale
Definition
A temperature scale on which water has a freezing point of 0°C and a boiling point of 100°C.
Term
centimeter (cm)
Definition
A unit of length in the metric system; there are 2.54 cm in 1 in.
Term
conversion factor
Definition
A ratio in which the numerator and denominator are quantities from an equality or given relationship 1 kg = 2.20 lb are written as the following: 2.20 lb / 1 kg and 1 kg / 2.20 lb.
Term
cubic centimeter (cm3 or cc)
Definition
The volume of a cube that has 1-cm sides; equal to 1 mL.
Term
density
Definition
The relationship of the mass of an object to its volume expressed as grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm ), grams per milliliter (g/mL), or grams per liter (g/L).
Term
equality
Definition
A relationship between two units that measure the same quantity.
Term
exact number
Definition
A number obtained by counting or by definition.
Term
gram (g)
Definition
The metric unit used in measurements of mass.
Term
Kelvin (K) temperature scale
Definition
A temperature scale on which the lowest possible temperature is 0 K.
Term
kilogram (kg)
Definition
A metric mass of 1000 g and equal to 2.20 lb. The kilogram is the SI standard unit of mass.
Term
liter (L)
Definition
The metric unit for volume that is slightly larger than a quart.
Term
mass
Definition
A measure of the quantity of material in an object.
Term
measured number
Definition
A number obtained when a quantity is determined by using a measuring device.
Term
meter (m)
Definition
The metric unit for length that is slightly longer than a yard. The meter is the SI standard unit of length.
Term
metric system
Definition
A system of measurement used by scientists and in most countries of the world.
Term
milliliter (mL)
Definition
A metric unit of volume equal to one-thousandth of a L (0.001 L).
Term
prefix
Definition
The part of the name of a metric unit that precedes the base unit and specifies the size of the measurement. All prefixes are related on a decimal scale.
Term
scientific notation
Definition
A form of writing large and small numbers using a coefficient from 1 to 9, followed b a power of 10.
Term
second
Definition
The standard unit of time in the SI and metric system.
Term
SI units
Definition
The international system of units that modifies the metric system.
Term
significant figures
Definition
The numbers recorded in a measurement.
Term
specific gravity (sp gr)
Definition
A relationship between the density of a substance and the density of water: sp gr = density of sample/density of water
Term
temperature
Definition
An indicator of the hotness or coldness of an object.
Term
volume
Definition
The amount of space occupied by a substance.
Term
boiling
Definition
The formation of bubbles of gas throughout a liquid.
Term
boiling point (bp)
Definition
The temperature at which a liquid changes to gas (boils) and gas changes to liquid (condenses).
Term
calorie (cal)
Definition
The amount of heat energy that raises the temperature of exactly 1 g of water exactly 1 °C; 1 cal - 4.184 J
Term
Calorie (Cal)
Definition
A nutritional unit of energy equal to 1000 cal, or 1 kcal.
Term
change of state
Definition
The transformation of one state of matter to another; for example, from solid to liquid, liquid to solid, and liquid to gas.
Term
chemical change
Definition
A change during which the original substance is converted into a new substance with a different composition and new chemical and physical properties.
Term
chemical properties
Definition
The properties that indicate the ability of a substance to change to a new substance.
Term
compound
Definition
A pure substance consisting of two or more elements, with a definite composition, that can be broken down into simpler substance only by chemical methods.
Term
condensation
Definition
The change of state of a gas to liquid.
Term
cooling curve
Definition
A diagram that illustrates temperature changes and changes of state for a substance as heat is removed.
Term
deposition
Definition
The reverse process of sublimation, with gas particles changing directly into a solid.
Term
element
Definition
A pure substance containing only one type of matter, which cannot be broken down by chemical methods.
Term
energy
Definition
The ability to do work.
Term
energy (caloric) value
Definition
The kilocalories obtained per gram of the three food types: carbohydrate, fat, and protein.
Term
evaporation
Definition
The formation of a gas (vapor) by the escape of high-energy molecules from the surface of a liquid.
Term
freezing
Definition
A change of state from liquid to solid.
Term
freezing point (fp)
Definition
The temperature at which a liquid changes to a solid (freezes) and a solid changes to a liquid (melts).
Term
gas
Definition
A state of matter characterized by no definite shape or volume. Particles in a gas move rapidly.
Term
heat
Definition
The energy associated with the motion of particles in a substance.
Term
heat of fusion
Definition
The energy required to melt exactly 1 g of a substance at is melting point. For water, 80. cal (334 J) are needed to melt 1 g of ice; 80. cal (334 J) are released when 1 g of water freezes.
Term
heat of vaporization
Definition
The energy required to vaporize exactly 1 g of a substance at its boiling point. For water 540 calories (2260 J) are needed to vaporize exactly 1 g of liquid; 1 g of steam gives off 540 cal (2260 J) when it condenses.
Term
heating curve
Definition
A diagram that shows the temperature changes and changes of state of a substance as it is heated.
Term
joule (J)
Definition
The SI unit of heat energy; 4.184 J = 1 cal.
Term
kilocalorie (kcal)
Definition
An amount of heat energy equal to 1000 calories.
Term
kinetic energy
Definition
The energy of motion.
Term
liquid
Definition
A state of matter that takes the shape of its container but has a definite volume.
Term
melting
Definition
A change of state that involves the conversion of a solid to a liquid.
Term
melting point (mp)
Definition
The temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid (melts). It is the same temperature as the freezing point.
Term
mixture
Definition
The physical combination of two or more substances that does not change the identities of the substances.
Term
physical change
Definition
The change in which the physical appearance of a substance changes, but the chemical composition stays the same.
Term
physical properties
Definition
The properties that can be observed or measured without affecting the identity of a substance.
Term
potential energy
Definition
An inactive type of energy that is stored for future use.
Term
pure substance
Definition
Matter composed of elements or compounds that has a definite composition.
Term
solid
Definition
A state of matter that has its own shape and volume.
Term
specific heat
Definition
A quantity of heat that changes the temperature of exactly 1 g of a substance by exactly 1 °C.
Term
sublimation
Definition
The change of state in which a solid is transformed directly to a gas without forming a liquid first.
Term
work
Definition
An activity that requires energy.
Term
alkali metal
Definition
An element in Group 1A (1), except hydrogen, that is a soft, shiny metal with one electron in its outermost energy level.
Term
alkaline earth metal
Definition
An element in Group 2A (2) that has two electrons in its outermost energy level.
Term
atom
Definition
The smallest particle of an element that retains the characteristics of the element.
Term
atomic mass
Definition
The weighted average mass of all the naturally occurring isotopes of an element.
Term
atomic mass unit (amu)
Definition
A small mass unit used to describe the mass of extremely small particles such as atoms and subatomic particles; 1 amu is equal to one-twelfth the mass of 12/6C atom.
Term
atomic number
Definition
A number that is equal to the number of protons in an atom.
Term
atomic spectrum
Definition
A series of lines specific for each element produced by photons emitted by electrons dropping to lower energy levels.
Term
atomic symbol
Definition
An abbreviation used to indicate the mass number and atomic number of an isotope.
Term
chemical symbol
Definition
An abbreviation that represents the name of an element.
Term
d block
Definition
The block of ten elements from Groups 3B (3) to 2B (12) in which electrons fill the five d orbitals in d sublevels.
Term
electron
Definition
A negatively charged subatomic particle having a minute mass that is usually ignored in mass calculations; its symbol is e-.
Term
electron configuration
Definition
A list of the number of electrons in each sublevel within an atom, arranged by increasing energy.
Term
electron-dot symbol
Definition
The representation of an atom that shows valence electrons as dots around the symbol of the element.
Term
f block
Definition
The block of 14 elements in the rows at the bottom of the periodic table in which electrons fill the seven f orbitals in the 4f and 5f sublevels.
Term
group
Definition
A vertical column in the periodic table that contains elements having similar physical and chemical properties.
Term
halogen
Definition
An element in Group 7A (17)---fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine---that has seven electrons in its outermost energy level.
Term
ionization energy
Definition
The energy needed to remove the least tightly bound electron from the outermost energy level of an atom.
Term
isotope
Definition
An atom that differs only in mass number from another atom of the same element. Isotopes have the same atomic number (number of protons) but different numbers of neutrons.
Term
mass number
Definition
The total number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom.
Term
metal
Definition
an element that is shiny, malleable, ductile, and a good conductor of heat and electricity. The metals are located to the left of the heavy zigzag line on the periodic table.
Term
metalloid
Definition
Elements with properties of both metals and nonmetals located along the heavy zigzag line on the periodic table.
Term
neutron
Definition
A neutral subatomic particle having a mass of about 1 amu and found in the nucleus of an atom; its symbol is n or n°.
Term
noble gas
Definition
An element in Group 8A (18) of the periodic table, generally unreactive and seldom found in combination with other elements, that has eight electrons (He has two electrons) in its outermost energy level.
Term
nonmetal
Definition
An element with little or no luster that is a poor conductor of heat and electricity. The nonmetals are located to the right of the heavy zigzag line on the periodic table.
Term
nucleus
Definition
The compact, extremely dense conter of an atom, containing the protons and neutrons of the atom.
Term
orbital
Definition
The region around the nucleus where electrons of a certain energy are more likely to be found. The s orbitals are spherical; the p orbitals have two lobes.
Term
orbital diagram
Definition
A diagram that shows the distribution of electrons in the orbitals of the energy levels.
Term
p block
Definition
The elements in Groups 3A (13) to 8A (18) in which electrons fill the p orbitals in the p sublevels.
Term
period
Definition
A horizontal row of elements in the periodic table.
Term
periodic table
Definition
An arrangement of elements by increasing atomic number such that elements having similar chemical behavior are grouped in vertical columns.
Term
proton
Definition
A positively charged subatomic particle having a mass of about 1 amu and found in the nucleus of an atom; its symbol is p or p^+.
Term
representative element
Definition
An element in the first two columns on the left of the periodic table and the last six columns on the right that has a group number of 1A through 8A or 1, 2 and 13 through 18.
Term
s block
Definition
The elements in Groups 1A (1) and 2A (2) in which electrons fill the s orbitals.
Term
subatomic particle
Definition
A particle within an atom; protons, neutrons, and electrons are subatomic particles.
Term
sublevel
Definition
A group of orbitals of equal energy within principal energy levels. The number of sublevels in each energy level is the same as the principal quantum number (n).
Term
transition element
Definition
An element in the center of the periodic table that is designated with the letter "B" or the group number of 3 through 12.
Term
valence electrons
Definition
Electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom.
Term
parts per million (ppm)
Definition
milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg)
Term
parts per billion (ppb)
Definition
micrograms per kilogram (ug/kg)
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