Chemical Reactions Vocabulary

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms related to chemical reactions and properties of matter.

Property

Characteristic of a substance that doesn’t change, such as melting point, boiling point, state of matter at room temperature.

Atom

The building block of all matter.

Molecule

The smallest particle of a substance, made up of one or more atoms, that has all the properties of that substance.

Chemical Reaction

Process in which the atoms within molecules are rearranged and form new substances with new (different) properties.

Phase Change

The change from one state of matter to another when energy is added or removed.

Product(s)

The new substance(s) produced/formed during a chemical reaction.

Reactant(s)

Original atoms and/or molecules that interact in a chemical reaction; the starting ingredients.

Boiling Point

The temperature at which a liquid gains enough energy and changes to a gas.

Melting Point

The temperature at which a solid gains enough energy and changes to a liquid.

Law of Conservation of Matter

In a chemical reaction, matter is not created or destroyed, but can be changed.

Soluble

Describes a material that can dissolve in a particular liquid.

State of Matter

Forms in which matter can exist, such as solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.

Dissolve

When a solid breaks apart in a liquid into smaller pieces that can’t be seen and are mixed completely throughout the liquid.

Mixture

A blend of two or more substances.

Viscosity

Thickness of a liquid; water vs molasses.

Insoluble

Describes a material that does not dissolve in a liquid; the inability to dissolve in a liquid.

Flammability

The ability to ignite or catch on fire.

Density

The amount of matter in a given space.

Meniscus

The curved surface seen when measuring a liquid in a graduated cylinder.

Odor

Smell or scent.

Physical Change

A change in the form or appearance of a substance, but it does not change the substance into anything new.

Substance

Matter made of one type of material throughout.