Chemistry Lecture 1: Introduction to Chemistry Concepts

These flashcards cover key concepts, terms, and definitions from the first chapter of the chemistry lecture notes, aimed at aiding understanding and retention of essential chemistry principles.

Chemistry

The study of the composition, properties, and interactions of matter.

Scientific Method

A process involving observation and experimentation to formulate hypotheses and develop theories.

Hypothesis

A tentative explanation or prediction that can be tested by experimentation.

Macroscopic Domain

The realm of everyday things that can be observed by human senses.

Microscopic Domain

The realm of small particles that may only be visualized through a microscope.

Symbolic Domain

The specialized language used to represent components of matter, including chemical symbols and formulas.

Solid

A phase of matter that is rigid, has a definite shape, and contains closely packed molecules.

Liquid

A phase of matter that flows, takes the shape of its container, and has molecules with some space between them.

Gas

A phase of matter that takes both the shape and volume of its container with molecules in constant motion.

Plasma

A high-energy gaseous state of matter containing charged particles, found in stars and lightning.

Mass

A measure of the amount of matter in an object, unaffected by gravity.

Weight

The gravitational force exerted on an object, which can vary depending on location.

Law of Conservation of Matter

In chemical reactions, matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Element

A pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

Compound

A pure substance made of two or more different elements chemically bonded together.

Mixture

A combination of two or more substances where each retains its individual properties.

Physical Property

A characteristic of matter that can be observed without changing its chemical composition.

Chemical Property

A property that indicates how a substance will react chemically with others.

Extensive Property

A property that depends on the amount of matter present.

Intensive Property

A property that does not depend on the amount of matter present.

Significant Figures

Digits in a number that contribute to its precision, including all non-zero digits, captive zeros, and trailing zeros in decimal notation.

Dimensional Analysis

A mathematical technique that uses conversion factors to convert between units.

Volume

The amount of space occupied by an object, commonly expressed in liters (L) or cubic meters (m³).

Density

The ratio of the mass of a substance to its volume, typically expressed in g/cm³ or kg/m³.