Unit 10: States of Matter

These flashcards cover key concepts regarding the states of matter and related chemical bonding.

Ionic Bond

A bond formed by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in cations and anions.

Covalent Bond

A bond formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons.

Metallic Bond

A bond characterized by a 'sea of electrons' shared among a lattice of metal cations.

Coulomb’s Law

A law stating that the energy of interaction between two ions is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the distance between them.

Steric Number (SN)

The total number of bonded atoms and lone pairs of electrons around a central atom.

Electronegativity

The ability of an atom to attract bonding electrons.

Dipole Moment

A measure of the separation of positive and negative charges in a molecule.

Intermolecular Forces

Forces that act between molecules and influence their physical properties.

Phase Diagram

A graphical representation of the states of a substance at different temperatures and pressures.

Supercritical Fluid

A state of matter above its critical temperature and pressure with properties intermediate between gas and liquid.